Several business operators showing their disagreement with the closure of the entrance to Lorong Tun Ismail 7.

KUANTAN: Traders and business operators at Lorong Tun Ismail 6 here are up in arms over the road diversion trial run in their area as they claim it has affected business.

Restaurant owner Abdul Majid Abdul Wahid claimed that the closure of the entrance to Lorong Tun Ismail 7 from Jalan Tun Ismail had been causing gridlock in the area during peak hours.

“We appreciate the Kuantan Municipal Council (MPK)’s attempt to ease the traffic congestion in the area but this diversion has actually worsened the situation.

“Many road users are now trapped for up to an hour, especially during school days because of heavy traffic near Old Town Kopitiam, Klinik Asmara, the alleyway of Restoran Jom Makan and the road behind Restoran Alif.

“Because of this, road users are also parking their vehicles indiscriminately,” he said when met here recently.

Abdul Majid said the situation had severely affected his business, claiming that he was losing up to RM2,000 a day.

“Our customers are all gone and the trial run is for a month until June 22.

“How much income do you think we are going to lose during this one month and who is going to compensate us?” he asked.

Gio Mall general manager G. Anbalagan said lorry drivers could not even stop to drop off stock because of the traffic congestion.

Budget hotel manager Azlizam A. Zaman said guests were complaining to him about how difficult it was to access the area.

Hair and beauty salon owner Lim Mei Cheng said she had never seen such a drastic drop in business in her 16 years of operating there.

They were among 67 business operators and traders who had signed a letter of appeal to MPK to reopen the entrance to Lorong Tun Ismail 7 from the main road but with proper signage and a divider to avoid confusion.

The parent-teacher association of SK Perempuan Methodist had also written a complaint letter and suggested for Lorong Tun Ismail 7 to be returned to being a two-way road.

Abdul Majid said they would be sending the letter to MPK soon.

Meanwhile, MPK public relations and community division chief Haslinda Hassan was reported as saying that she welcomed any suggestions or disagreements on the road diversion.

“We will restudy the move through our technical and traffic committee,” she said.