Waiting in the dark, commuters fear for safety at bus stop

Commuters want the authorities to fix the lights at the bus stop in Jalan Utara, Petaling Jaya. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, April 20, 2015.

Commuters fear for their safety each time they have to wait for a bus at the Jalan Utara bus stop, near the Asia Jaya LRT station, in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, as the lights have been faulty for more than six months.

The bus stop is in darkness except for the beams from passing vehicles.

“The lights here stopped working when the one-way loop was implemented in PJ, probably due to all the road work that was being done,” said Zuraidah who waits for a bus after 8pm daily to return to her home in Kota Damansara.

“Sometimes, I have to wait for the bus all by myself late at night. And since the lights stopped working, as a woman, I feel much more vulnerable waiting here. You never know what might happen.”

The commuters at this bus stop are mainly those who live around Section 14, Taman Paramount and Kota Damansara who wait for Metro bus no 99 and Rapid KL’s U88.

Matters are made worse when it rains as those waiting for buses will crowd under the bus stop shelter. “There have been cases of groping and pickpocketing as people crowd in the small space in the dark,” Zuraidah said.

When asked if she had complained about the faulty lights, Zuraidah said that she was not sure who she should speak to. “Some of the regular commuters and I have talked about bringing the issue to the attention of the authorities. But, who is the right authority?”

Others who wait for a bus at the same stop shared Zuraidah’s sentiments.

One female commuter who did not want to be named said: “I wait for the bus here every day at 9.30pm, and I’m usually the only one here at that time.

Some of the commuters had thought of complaining to the authorities but were unsure who to approach. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Raevathi Supramaniam, April 20, 2015.“Waiting alone at that hour at a bus stop already increases the risk of something bad happening. Waiting in the dark probably doubles the risk.

“Since nothing has been done for such a long time, I guess I’ll just have to be extra alert and be more aware of my surroundings.”

- TMI