SHAH ALAM, Oct 7 – A proposal has been made to build dedicated pedestrian walkways, with crossing platforms and handrails, between commercial lots at the SS2 Commercial Centre in Petaling Jaya to improve visitor safety, especially for the elderly.
Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillor Loh Y Lun said the area comprises four rows of commercial lots frequented largely by senior citizens; which had reported accidents involving individuals falling into drains.
“We are proposing to paint dedicated pedestrian paths between the lots to facilitate and ensure safe crossings. There have been cases where elderly visitors who had parked their vehicles fell into drains while walking towards the shops.
“I have proposed to the relevant department that crossing platforms equipped with handrails be built to prevent such incidents from recurring,” he told Media Selangor.
He highlighted that the lack of pedestrian access was identified at a time when Petaling Jaya's network of safe paths and pedestrian connectivity remains inadequate.
Loh said other issues were also identified along Jalan SS2/24 and SS2/55, where the growth of mature tree roots had cracked the walkways, prompting two site visits to seek solutions that would not require removing healthy trees.
The council's technical department subsequently proposed modifying the pathways to ensure safe pedestrian access while preserving the trees in question.
Loh also added that safety concerns are being addressed along the route between SMK Taman SEA and the Taman Bahagia LRT station, an area with a high risk of accidents involving vehicles and students.
“Although the speed limit in the school zone is 30 kilometres per hour, our observations revealed that the average vehicle speed reaches 76 kilometres per hour.
“As a short-term measure, we have raised the existing speed bumps and installed a pedestrian traffic light,” he said.
For the long-term solution, Loh added that the Housing and Local Government Ministry has allocated RM1 million to construct walkways and additional raised crossings, with completion expected by year-end.
The area around SMK Taman SEA was selected last July as the pilot site for the 'Safer School Streets' project following a mobility study that revealed high pedestrian traffic but concerning safety levels.
The school, which has over 1,300 students, is located approximately 500 meters from the Taman Bahagia LRT Station, making it one of the busiest 'First Mile-Last Mile' corridors in Petaling Jaya.
