DON’T CLOSE PUTATAN RAILWAY CROSSING

NARROW….Hiew and Edward inspecting the narrow road in Putatan next to the railway.

THE FACTORIES and business operators here on the other side of the railway track stopped the authorities from closing the railway level crossings due the temporary access road is not ready and impossible for larger trucks to drive on.

“The access road is so narrow and it is only 12 feet wide how can a container lorry weighs 50 tons to pass through and making a turn round”, exclaimed a business owner Chong here in Putatan.

Furthermore he said the road contractor told him that the road is built not for heavy trucks and it is for small cars and light traffic. Chong said that means he has to close his factory, packed up and go away from here. This is not fair for him and many workshop, factories and business owners in Putatan.

Sabah DAP KK MP Hiew King Cheu and Edward Ewol Mujie were called on site today to inspect the situation in Putatan. They saw the narrow road is indeed causing great difficulties there. The narrow road would not allow two cars or trucks to pass, especially there are cars parked along side of the road.

The electric and telephone poles on both side have taken up even more space, and creating bottle neck everywhere. There is no proper drainage along the road side and water always gets into the compound of the properties and workshops. The place became flooded whenever it rains.

It is compulsory that the JKR and the railway board must come to solve the problem immediately to give the people here some room to carry on with their work and earning a living. The closure of the railway level crossing is really giving them a big headache. These crossings should not be closed until the access road is completed and widen, and especially with all the electric and telephone poles removed and relocated to give way for the road and drains.

MP Hiew said the JKR and railway board should not hastily carry out this road construction work, and they must consider the peoples’ difficulties here first. A proper planning must be drawn up to cater for all aspects, and we don’t want to see people jammed in problems. There seem to be many things that are not right here.

- Sabahkini