Mobile beats to deter illegal traders

KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will be setting up three mobile patrol beats around the outer perimeter roads of Taman Tasik Titiwangsa to deter illegal traders from operating there.

“These beats, which are each manned by two or three personnel, will be located along Jalan Kuantan and at the junctions of Jalan Temerloh and Jalan Tembeling,” said DBKL’s Enforcement Department deputy director Mohd Hisham Izhar.

The shifts will be from noon to 9pm on weekdays and on weekends, 7am to 9pm.

Mohd Hisham said this decision was made following the high number of residents’ complaints on traffic congestion, traders occupying parking bays, safety hazards from electric scooters (escooters), rubbish as well as noise pollution.

However, he did not say when the mobile patrol beats would be set up.

“In addition to enforcement action, the presence of illegal traders here would be significantly reduced if customers refrained from supporting them.

“This is especially important as these illegal food traders may not have received their typhoid jabs or be aware of proper food handling procedures,” he added.

Mohd Hisham said he had seen illegal roadside drink stall operators using tap water and lok lok sellers storing their supplies in dirty polystyrene boxes.

He said this following a raid at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, where DBKL enforcement officers confiscated 15 escooters, trolleys, a food truck, generator sets as well as tables and chairs.

This late night operation was held with the Road Transport Department (JPJ) and police.

DBKL enforcement officers confiscating bicycles and escooters at the same park after traders were found to be violating their licensing conditions.

Earlier that day, a team of DBKL enforcement officers carried out a similar operation at the same park, where they seized more than 100 bicycles and 30 escooters after traders were found to be violating licensing conditions.

DBKL took action against the vendors under Bylaw 24 of the Traders Licensing Bylaw (Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur) 2016 and Section 46 of the Street, Drainage and Buildings Act 1974 for violating licence conditions and leaving items in public places.

DBKL’s licensing terms state that vehicles such as electric bicycles, escooters, trishaws, roller skates, scooters and similar engine-powered vehicles are prohibited.

A vendor offering bicycle rental services at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa said he had to offer rental services for escooters too to cover operating expenses.

“There is a high demand for escooters compared to bicycles, even though the escooters are banned in this park,” said the vendor who wanted to be known only as Tam.

“Bicycle rental at RM10 per hour is not sufficient to cover my costs, compared to escooter rental at RM24 for 40 minutes.”

Tam said it was difficult to attract customers because of strong competition from 45 other bicycle rental businesses dotting the park.

“I make only RM2,500 to RM3,000 per month, which does not cover my expenses, including employees’ salaries and vehicle repairs,” he said after DBKL’s daytime raid.

Earlier this year, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa said on her social media page that she had instructed DBKL to check all business activities at the park.

“This is to ensure that the park remains a family-friendly recreational space,” she said.