Ipoh City Coucil using new method that would reduce pothole repairing.
COMPLAINTS from residents about the numerous potholes and poorly maintained roads throughout Ipoh have been escalating.
Ipoh folk describe the city’s road condition as “daily challenges” and “safety risks”, particularly during the current rainy season.
P-hailing rider Suhaimi Hairol Saleh, 25, said given the safety risk to motorists, the potholes needed to be fixed urgently.
“Well-maintained roads will not only enhance road safety but also benefit tourism.
“Less bumpy roads will leave a good impression on those visiting from other states and may encourage them to return for more visits,” he said.
The number of pothole complaints typically doubles during the monsoon season.
Billing specialist Y. Nirmala, 43, complained about road repairs not lasting very long.
“One example of a poorly repaired road is Jalan Raja Perempuan Mazwin, between the Silibin roundabout and Falim.
“The entire stretch has potholes,” she said.
She noted that the issue had been ongoing for the last seven or eight years.
“There has been work to patch up the roads but the fix doesn’t typically last long.”
She called for durable repairs since the costs were being borne by taxpayers.
Heavy vehicles along the Klebang-Ipoh route tend to increase the number of potholes here.
Food truck operator Muhd Amirullah Razali, 30, said several roads required immediate attention.
These, he said, included the junction into Jalan Bandar Timah and the road leading to the Ipoh Railway Station on Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab.
“These roads need fixing because they are heavily used by locals and tourists,” he said.
Vendor Wong Meng Khoi, 50, said there were many potholes near his stall in Gunung Rapat.
“Some potholes are large and deep, which can damage vehicles.
“It is quite hard for motorists to drive on this road,” he said.
“I have reported this issue to the authorities more than half a year ago but no action has been taken.
“It would be good if they could fix them as soon as possible, to prevent the potholes from getting deeper,” he added.
Retiree Ahmad Ridzuan, 64, said the road conditions at Sungai Rokam, Pekan Razaki, Taman Ipoh Jaya and Jalan Ampang were quite bad too.
The authorities are urged to also pay attention to the condition of Jalan Bijeh Timah, a major tourist area, and the streets leading to it.
“Just try walking along the roads and see how many potholes you will find.
“If the roads are maintained, I am sure people will be driving more comfortably and will feel safer, instead of needing to dodge potholes.
“There should be a long-lasting solution to this matter,” he added.
Checks by StarMetro found that potholes at the junction turning into the Ipoh Railway Station on Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab had been fixed.
This wasn’t the case for the road in front of the Ipoh Post Office and railway station.
The aforementioned roads of Jalan Gunung Rapat, Jalan Bijeh Timah and Sungai Rokam also needed repairs.
Ipoh City Watch president Dr Richard Ng said most road works contractors used the “cold mix” method to patch up potholes but this was not durable.
“A better approach is to remove the tar from the surrounding area of the potholes.
Ipoh City Council workers using a new method that will reduce the need for pothole repairs.
Potholes on Jalan Ho Lok Park are a danger to motorcyclists, especially atnight or when it rains.
“After ensuring the hole is dry, binder is applied, followed by chip sealing and the pothole is filled with hot mix asphalt.”
He said this method was more costly but would result in a more viable fix.
Ng also called for enforcement against drivers of heavy vehicles for using residential roads.
“This enforcement is especially required during the rainy season, as the combination of rainwater and heavy vehicles can cause more potholes.”
He said drainage systems must also be properly maintained and inspected regularly to ensure the roads were not flooded in heavy rain.
Ng said the city council should have a patrol squad to look for potholes.
“The city council needs to take proactive measures to patch up potholes while they are small.
“Road maintenance must be done continuously to ensure all roads are in tip-top condition.
“We usually hear excuses such as lack of funds – this is not acceptable if there is no proper plan in place,” he stressed.
Ng also called on the city council to rethink its procedures on complaint handling.
He said lodging complaints via the city council’s hotline number for potholes would generate a response asking for the complainant’s details such as MyKad number, gender and address.
“There is no need to ask for so many personal details.
“This is not people-friendly at all – many will become frustrated and not bother to report.
“The city council should just take immediate action once the complainant has furnished photographs and the GPS location,” he said, adding that there should be urgency on the council’s part to prevent untoward incidents.
“I remember back in 2021, the mayor had thrown a challenge to his staff to patch up potholes within 24 hours,” Ng noted.
The mayor had said repair works should be conducted immediately without waiting for the notice to commence work.
“Many times, we have noticed contractors would only repair the potholes for which the notice had been issued, even though there were several others nearby,” Ng added.
Ipoh mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin said the weather was one of the main factors behind the increased number of potholes.
He said the average rainfall in Ipoh had almost doubled since the 1990s.
“About 30 years ago, the average rainfall was between 40mm and 44mm.
“Now, it is between 90mm and 100mm – it will have an impact on the roads and potholes.”
He also said the increase in population and number of vehicles on the road in the last few years were other contributing factors.
“In 2016, the population recorded was about 770,000 people and early this year, it was recorded at 857,000.
“We have not even taken into account the number of tourists who come to Ipoh by car.
“Before 2020, there were about 20,000 cars coming into Ipoh on weekends.
“That number has increased 10-fold and we are seeing about 200,000 cars every weekend now,” he added.
Rumaizi said with more development in the city – including a new hospital and hotels in the next few years – the number of people in Ipoh would also continue to increase.
“Development will create more jobs, bringing in more doctors, engineers or hoteliers.
“They buy homes here, which would also mean more cars on the road,” he pointed out.
The city council had in September last year announced a new method to resurface roads by using the “cup-lump modified asphalt” (CMA) method.
CMA uses modified bitumen, with a mixture involving coagulated rubber, to improve the quality of resurfacing works by reducing effects of cracks and rutting, and extending its lifespan on paved surfaces.
It also has higher resistance to heavy vehicle load, extreme weather, and fuel pollution.
Among the areas that have had the CMA method applied are the Tasek Industrial Area, IGB Industrial Area, part of Jalan Bendahara, and the main road at Station 18.In November last year, Rumaizi said the city council would use a “hot in place” method to repair potholes on roads in the city centre.
He said a custom-made vehicle was built for the repair works, which would only take about 20 minutes.
In response to residents’ concerns, Rumaizi said pothole repairs were handled by Puncak Emas Infra, the concessionaire contracted to manage potholes and road repairs until 2029.
“Residents can report issues through the 24-hour Pothole Complaint Portal or MyAduan@MBI.
“Nevertheless, it is still our responsibility to maintain the roads and drainage system.”
According to the agreement, the concessionaire would be required to tend to a complaint and fix a pothole within 48 hours, said Rumaizi.
However, he said there had been some delay in fixing potholes because of the sheer number of complaints.
“About 5,000 pothole complaints are normally received every month.
“But during the monsoon season, the number of complaints will double to about 10,000 a month,” he said, adding that the number of pothole complaints has been growing annually.
“Among the issues faced by the concessionaire are the shortage of repair materials, equipment and manpower.”
He also said the city council had already asked the concessionaire to get another custom-made machine to address the number of pothole repairs.
“Currently, the company is reaching out to its strategic partners or subcontractors to help with the repairs,” he added.
According to Rumaizi, the city council had forked out an additional RM6mil this year for pothole repairs.
When asked whether the city council had considered doing a study to have better roads and solutions for road repairs, he said a consultant had been hired to do so.
The same consultant who did the redevelopment work on Jalan Tambun was doing the study which was expected to be completed by next month, he said.
“We understand that the cold mix method (to fix potholes) cannot last long, but it offers a quick fix, sometimes lasting up to six months but sometimes this is less due to weather,” he explained.
Rumaizi said MBI had planned for road resurfacing or rehabilitation projects for roads that had exceeded its life span (more than 10 years) and that were frequently damaged.
“We are committed to ongoing road improvements as part of our 2021-2030 Strategic Plan, focusing on infrastructure development to make Ipoh safer and more attractive for residents and visitors,” the mayor added.
Pothole complaints can be sent via WhatsApp to 017-412 2113 or online to shorturl.at/aekxT
