Chua says large vehicles are using Taman Masai Utama to avoid congestion on the highway.
THE state government has been urged to instal a height restriction barrier at Taman Masai Utama in Pasir Gudang to prevent large vehicles from using the road through Masai town.
Kampung Baru Masai village chief Dr Chua Ching Hao said the road in the town was unsuitable for large vehicles.
“Large vehicles use the road in Taman Masai Utama as a shortcut to avoid congestion on the Pasir Gudang Highway, especially during peak hours.
“We have received reports from residents on damages to the road and we hope the government can intervene,” he told StarMetro.Chua said the town used to experience congestion during the development of the Masai People’s Residency Project (PRR).
He added that the bridge near Taman Masai Utama also needed upgrading, as it was frequently used by large vehicles travelling between Pasir Gudang and Johor Baru.
“It’s a hotspot for potholes, making it very dangerous for small vehicles, such as motorcycles, to pass through, particularly at night or during rainy weather,” he said.
“Just before the bridge, there’s an ongoing project to cover up what was once a small swamp.
“However, the plastic road barrier is quite low, so if you’re driving fast in the rain, there’s a risk of veering into the swamp, especially for drivers unfamiliar with the area.”
Chua said the government must ensure that heavy vehicles comply with road regulations, particularly regarding vehicle weight limits.
“The roads in Pasir Gudang are not built to withstand overweight vehicles, especially when they are caught in traffic.
“Over time, this will cause the roads to deteriorate more quickly,” he said.
Meanwhile, Permas assemblyman Baharuddin Mohamed Taib said another reason for the congestion was the simultaneous upgrading works carried out by contractors.
“I was informed that they received funding to carry out repair works at the last minute. Since it’s nearing the end of the year, they have no choice but to complete the work now or risk having the funding withdrawn,” he said.
“My advice to the government is to ensure that any roadwork projects for next year’s budget are approved in the first quarter of the year.
“This way, contractors will have the time to carry out their work in phases and spread the workload throughout the year.”
Baharuddin said the government should also consider expanding the Permas Jaya Bridge, which connects Permas Jaya and Kampung Bakar Batu.
“With the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, we can expect an increase in road users. The bridge creates a bottleneck as it only has two lanes for travel in each direction, between Johor Baru and Pasir Gudang,” he said.
On another matter, he said that he had proposed the construction of a centralised sewage treatment plant in Taman Rinting to the state government.
“If we can establish a centralised treatment plant there, we could close the existing plants in Masai Utama and Taman Bukit Dahlia.
“This would improve the condition of Sungai Rinting and Sungai Masai by about 70%. The latter is important as its riverbanks are where our local fishermen live.”
