By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 9: The Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak has urged the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) to take immediate and firm action by engaging project developers employing heavy lorries and to issue a stern warning, including the possibility of a stop work order, if their activities continue to damage the residential roads around Lotak Villas in Batu Kawah.
Michael Kong, the special assistant to DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen, said concerned residents have filed numerous complaints regarding the increasing number of heavy lorries using their residential roads, specifically along Jalan Kwong Thiong.
“During my site visit, I witnessed firsthand the serious damage caused by these vehicles. In one section, the asphalt had been pushed aside by the weight of the lorries, forming raised mounds of tar even higher than the roadside curb. The road is no longer flat and has become both unsightly and dangerous for regular road users,” he said in a statement today.
He stressed that the damage was a direct result of the extreme pressure from heavy lorries navigating tight turns in narrow residential lanes, which were never meant to withstand such heavy loads.
Kong also called on MPP to install clear signage restricting the weight and access of heavy vehicles in residential areas and to coordinate closely with the Road Transport Department (JPJ) Sarawak, which he said had expressed readiness to take enforcement action against violators of weight restrictions imposed by local authorities.
“Local councils have a responsibility to protect the safety, property, and environment of residents. When damage is caused by private developments or commercial activities, the council must stand up for the people, not leave them to suffer the consequences,” he asserted.
He added that residents should not be burdened with the fallout from the inaction or indifference of local authorities and reiterated the need for swift enforcement to deter further road damage to ensure safety in the area. — DayakDaily
