The Plaza Rakyat pedestrian bridge is in poor condition and in dire need of repairs. — LOW BOON TAT/ The Star
THE covered walkway and pedestrian bridge linking Plaza Rakyat LRT station to Jalan Pudu in Kuala Lumpur will be upgraded, say two Kuala Lumpur advisory board members.
The project will be a joint effort by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and Prasarana Malaysia Bhd.
Kuala Lumpur advisory board member Andre Lai said different stretches of the two structures fell under the purview of the two agencies.
“A decision was made during a recent joint meeting with all relevant parties, to upgrade and beautify the structures,” he said.
“The pedestrian bridge linking the elevated LRT station to the street level is close to 30 years old.
“It was part of the Plaza Rakyat development and would have been rebuilt to be included in the project once it was completed.
“However, since the Plaza Rakyat development was halted, the pedestrian bridge remains a temporary structure.”
While regular maintenance has been carried out, Lai said the structure was old and needed to be upgraded.
He thanked Prasarana and Rapid Rail for their cooperation as Plaza Rakyat LRT station was one of the busiest for tourists and locals.
“Since Kuala Lumpur is hosting the Asean Summit next year and Visit Malaysia Year is scheduled for 2026, there is an urgent need to beautify the area,” he said.
During a site visit to the pedestrian bridge, which is under Prasarana’s purview, StarMetro observed that parts of the hoarding shielding users from the rain was damaged while the roof appeared to be slightly sunken.
However, the steel platform for pedestrians to walk on looks to be still in fair condition.
The covered walkway on the street level, which is under DBKL’s jurisdiction, was dirty and peppered with graffiti.
Kuala Lumpur advisory board member Carmen Leong said the pedestrian bridge was in need of urgent repairs.
“Some parts of the railing are rusty and the lighting needs to be upgraded,” she said.
“The upgrades will ensure pedestrian safety and provide a more comfortable environment for public transport users.”
Leong said the upgrades along the stretch managed by DBKL included repairing faulty features and wall repainting.
“For the stretch managed by Prasarana, we have scheduled a meeting to finalise the details,” she said.
StarMetro reached out to Prasarana for comment but yet to receive one at press time.
