'Show proof that Kidex can cut traffic by 20%'

PETALING JAYA: The DAP has challenged Putrajaya to disclose any existing traffic impact assessment report that proves that the proposed Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) will successfully reduce the overall traffic in Petaling Jaya and Puchong by 20% to 30%.

The challenge came after Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof rubbished the research results released by the DAP Damansara Utama state assemblyman Yeo Bee Yin last week which stated the proposed highway would only be able to reduce traffic congestion by 2% or 3%.

Fadillah insisted that the traffic impact assessment (TIA) done by independent consultants had projected that Kidex would relieve traffic on the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP) by 20% to 30%.

He further claimed that all relevant reports were presented to the Selangor government’s economic council and municipal councils and that everybody could have a look at them.

However, DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua hit back at Fadillah, saying the minister should not mislead the public “just because the federal government did not do its homework” before signing the 48-year Kidex concession.

“Even the chief executive officer of Kidex, Dr Shaharizuan Shafiei, was only brave enough to claim in his own statement on Thursday that Kidex will cut the traffic in 16 local roads by 20% to 30% upon completion and 23 local roads by 20% to 30% from the year 2028.

“What Dr Shaharizuan had failed to highlight was the fact that their preliminary TIA report covered 43 roads, where certain roads may see an increase in traffic by up to 233%!” said Pua in a statement yesterday.

The preliminary TIA report presented to MBPJ indicated that major roads such as Jalan Bukit Jalil Indah will face a projected increase of 233%, Jalan Changgai 109%, Jalan Sultan 58% and Jalan Barat 35%.

“Hence when the impact on all 43 roads were taken into account, there was only a projected 5.8% and 3% overall reduction in traffic for 2020 and 2028 respectively,” Pua added.

He reiterated that the figures cited by the DAP assemblymen were not “plucked off the sky or produced on our own”, but are extracted directly from the documents Fadillah had mentioned.

“Hence we would like to challenge the works minister to present his ‘research’ which allegedly ‘supports the estimate’ of an overall reduction of 20% to 30% in traffic in Petaling Jaya and Puchong,” said Pua.  

The minister, he added, should not defend Kidex but instead question the rationale for the RM2.42 billion concession if the highway is only be able to reduce traffic in the two major townships by 5.8%.

“Fadillah should also immediately reveal the toll rates to be charged and the rate of return for the highway company as signed in the concession agreement,” said Pua. — By Gho Chee Yuan


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This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 16, 2014.