Kepong area parking and traffic woes bad for business

FINDING a parking spot at Fortune Perdana commercial area in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, is a major challenge.

As parking in bays outside these shoplots is free of charge, many residents from nearby condominiums have been hoarding the spaces for days or weeks at a time, says Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng.

Many business owners, especially eatery operators, want Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to implement a paid parking system within the commercial area.

“In the past few weeks, my office has received numerous complaints from business owners who are proposing that DBKL implement paid parking.

“During weekends and public holidays, some condo residents who have several cars take up the parking spaces around Fortune Perdana, leaving none for the public.

“The business owners say this is driving their customers away.

“Most business areas in Kuala Lumpur have paid parking, but not here,” Lim told a press conference at an eatery on Jalan Metro Perdana.

Low says parking spaces around his coffee shop are snapped up as early as 6am.

Business owners also requested for the two-way traffic be made one way to ease congestion that is made worse by motorists double- and triple-parking at Fortune Perdana.

Lim said he would call for a town hall meeting with the area’s business operators, condominium residents and management, residents associations and DBKL soon to come up with a solution.

“We must check with DBKL if we can make it compulsory for motorists to pay for parking and whether it is suitable to make traffic here one way,” he said.

Restoran Ice Twenty Two Kopitiam owner Ice Lim said she supported the proposal for one-way traffic and paid parking.

“I have seen condo residents parked here for a week and we have also seen accidents occur because of two-way traffic,” she said.

Restoran Sixty-Three Kopitiam owner Low Kan Sam said parking bays around his coffeeshop and the vicinity were snapped up as early as 6am.

“Traffic is terrible here. If there is paid parking, it will deter condo residents from parking for long periods,” he said.

Siew is in favour of a one-way traffic system to reduce the occurrence of accidents.

Customer Siew Kwok Foi, 51, said he was also in favour of a one-way traffic system to reduce the occurrence of accidents, adding that double- and triple-parking was on the rise.

StarMetro reached out to DBKL for comments but did not receive any reply at press time.