The on-going road-upgrading works along Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab (the road between the Ipoh Railway Station and the Town Hall) are giving Ipohites, especially motorists, a big headache. During peak hours traffic comes to a standstill causing much inconvenience to travellers.
Incidentally, the project is part of Ipoh City Council’s initiative to beautify the area fronting the Town Hall and the railway station.
Upon receiving several complaints from readers, Ipoh Echo went to the worksite on Monday, November 2 at around 2pm to see the problem for ourselves.
Part of the road was blocked off and traffic from both sides was reduced to a snail’s pace moving on a single lane. Some motorcyclists were seen swerving into the unfinished portion of the road for easy access and convenience.
According to one of the ten hard-at-work men on the site, they worked from 8am to 10pm six days a week. The upgrading works began in late October. It would take between 15 to 20 days (third week of November) for it to be completed. There were more works during the night shift.
“It’s a real hassle going to the mosque, post office, police station, train station and bus station. In view of the mayhem, a traffic policeman should be around to direct the traffic flow, especially at the bottleneck. A 5-minute journey to the mosque has now become a 30-minute nightmare, especially during peak hours at 1pm and 5pm,” lamented a 23-year-old motorist to Ipoh Echo.
He hoped the contractor engaged would speed up the work for the sake of those using the road.
Mei Kuan
