NANTA URGES JKR, ROAD MAINTENANCE CONCESSIONAIRES TO INCREASE PATROLS DURING BAD WEATHER

SHAH ALAM, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- The Public Works Department (JKR) and road maintenance concessionaires have been urged to increase patrols to detect infrastructure damage, especially during adverse weather conditions. 

Minister of Works, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, emphasised that the responsible parties should not adopt a careless attitude or take road damage lightly, as it could pose a safety risk. 

"Let’s not wait for an issue to go viral before taking action. I have stressed this message repeatedly, and I hope all parties, including the ministry's team and its agencies, will take more proactive steps in monitoring this situation.

“I no longer want to hear complaints or reports of accidents caused by damaged roads," he said in a statement on Facebook today.

The statement follows complaints from road users, including a social media post by Pelabuhan Klang assemblyman Azmizam Zaman Huri, who criticised JKR regarding the damage to Jalan Pelabuhan Utara-Barat and Jalan Pelabuhan Utara, Section 1, recently.

Nanta stated that contractors handling projects on Federal roads must also take responsibility for repairing road damage to ensure the safety of road users on those routes.

He emphasised that no matter how small the damage such complaints should not be taken lightly as they concern safety and human lives.

He noted that many factors contribute to damage, such as aging roads, heavy vehicles, and severe weather conditions. 

"Even a palm-sized pothole poses a risk to road users, especially motorcyclists. This concerns human lives and cannot be overlooked," he said.

“It is therefore essential for the concession companies responsible to prioritise frequent patrols on the roads they manage to ensure safety," he said.

Regarding the issue raised by Azmizam, Nanta stressed that he took the matter seriously and was informed that JKR Klang had swiftly patched the potholes and repaired the damaged road surface at the expansion joint, which was caused by heavy rain on Dec 1.

He said the patching work was carried out by the Roadcare (M) Sdn Bhd (RCSB) concession on Jalan Pelabuhan Utara-Barat, adding that the expansion joint repairs were carried out in 2020, but the damage recurred. 

Nanta clarified that Jalan Pelabuhan Klang Utara, which was also mentioned by Azmizam, is no longer under RCSB's concession, but has been the responsibility of the Klang Container Terminal upgrade project owner since Oct 20, 2016.

"The JKR team and the concession company have also visited the area. JKR Klang carried out temporary patching work at the affected locations on Nov 25 and 26 as an immediate measure," he said.

-- BERNAMA