BY OH ING YEEN

Residents along Jalan Minang 1 in Taman Sri Minang, Kajang, fear that the road widening will bring more traffic to their neighbourhood and put their safety at risk.—Photos: ROHAIZAT MD DARUS/STAR.

RESIDENTS along Jalan Minang 1 in Taman Sri Minang, Kajang are against the road widening project in front of their houses for fear of more traffic in their neighbourhood that can pose a danger.

Those living in the first nine houses in Jalan Minang 1 are the most affected.

One of them, Anuar Ibrahim said the current road was meant only for those living along the stretch of road.

“We are worried that expanding this inner road will lead to more motorists using it,” he said.

He added that residents had highlighted the issue to Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) several times, since construction work for a housing project in front of their houses began in 2013 but to no avail.

Roshima Mohamad, a 52-year-old single mother, is worried for her special needs child who uses a wheelchair.

“My child will sometimes go out for some fresh air in her wheelchair but I worry for her safety on this road if it is widened and becomes busy with traffic,” she said.

Another resident Siti Arbaiah Musa has lodged a police report against the developer for placing piles of sand and rocks along Jalan Minang 1 without giving residents any notice of a road-widening project.

In the report, she stated that the notice by the developer on Feb 7 stated that drains would be upgraded and there was no mention of road widening.

She also requested Kajang assemblyman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to look into the matter, after residents failed to get a satisfactory reply from the local council.

“There are many senior citizens and children living along this road and having more traffic will put their safety at risk.

“I have seen cars speeding along the road.

“A 90-year-old neighbour who often sweeps outside her house once fell into the drain to avoid a car and broke her leg and was hospitalised,” she said.

At the time of the interview, a car coming down the road came to a screeching halt at the road hump made by one of the residents, just in time to avoid hitting a child.

Zafiani Royyani Zafaruddin complained that the construction had brought about noise and air pollution.

“We hope MPKj can install road humps along our street to slow down cars driving along this road,” she said.

Some residents such as Umayal Karuppiah have developed breathing problems because of dust from the construction work.

“During the construction, I sometimes have difficulty breathing,” she said.

MPKj public relations head Kamarul Izlan Sulaiman said he would have to check with the council’s Engineering Department for details before commenting on the issue.