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10-year wait for car park
13/04/2007 The Star
MORE than 20,000 residents at Rifle Range Flats, Penang, will finally have a
multi-storey car park after waiting for more than 10 years.
Although the car park, to cost about RM16mil, will only have 1,612 lots, the
project will at least solve part of the parking problems faced by the
residents as well as alleviate traffic congestion in the area.
The last 17 main tenants of the 101 low-cost terrace houses in Rifle Range,
owned by the Penang Municipal Council, have agreed to move out to pave way
for the project.
Early this month, two separate Sessions Courts recorded the consent judgment
in each of the 17 cases brought against the tenants by the council. The 17
tenants agreed to vacate the premises by April 30.
Municipal councillor Teh Leong Meng said yesterday the council’s property
committee would be discussing the details of the project and decide on a
date to commence work.
A tenant who declined to be named said he would vacate his house as agreed.
“We have been staying in the house for about 50 years and we feel sad that
we have to leave.”
When contacted, Kebun Bunga assemblyman Quah Kooi Heong said the residents
had to put up with the parking and traffic problems for many years.
“I am glad that we have finally fulfilled the Barisan Nasional elected
representatives’ promise to the residents here 12 years ago, to provide them
a car park to solve the parking woes,” he said.
There are 3,624 units in Rifle Range Flats, with about 1,000 parking bays.
Quah said when the low-cost flats were built some 40 years ago, not many
residents owned cars.
Businessman Seaw Hean Teik, 60, said it was impossible for the government to
make a decision that would please everyone.
“The fact is we do not have enough parking space in this area which result
in many illegal parking that eventually cause traffic congestions.
“A car park is a good solution,” he said.
Sundry shop owner, Mohd Ibrahim Jamaludin, 67, said having a car park in
this area would not solve the whole traffic pro-blem.
“MPPP enforcement teams must also ensure that motorists use the car park,
instead of parking at the roadside for their own convenience,” he said. |
