The Star Online: Metro: Central
The Star Online: Metro: Central |
| DBKL initiates Sahabat Taman to help curb vandalism on public property Posted: 23 May 2013 07:04 AM PDT CREATING awareness on caring for the environment is the only way to maintain public parks and prevent vandalism, says Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib. He said the condition of facilities at Taman Rimba Bukit Kerinchi in Kuala Lumpur was deplorable, especially since it was just upgraded six months ago. "Among the vandalism reported were boom gates being ripped off, broken taps in toilets and holes bored into the water tank. "Some vandals carry out these acts to steal the items and sell them while others set out to damage things for fun. "The vandals who do it for fun are more worrying as it indicates a serious social problem," said Ahmad Phesal. "We are constantly upgrading the parks and looking for ways to make them better places for the public. "But if the facilities are repeatedly vandalised, it is just a waste of money. That is why the "Sahabat Taman" (Park Friends) programme was initiated. "I feel that the public should take ownership of the park and be the eyes for Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to help oversee the facilities and report any wrongdoings. "Ideally, it should be those who visit the park often," he added. The first park to be adopted under this programme is the 64ha Taman Rimba Bukit Kerinchi. "Since the launch on Jan 19, 500 have joined as members and the number of vandalism cases has reduced," said Ahmad Phesal. "I believe we will be able to change the mindset of people and instil a sense of belonging so they care for public property. "All it takes is being civic-minded. We will try this soft approach to curb vandalism," he added. The mayor also said he was not in favour of any development for the park as it would affect the environment and water features. "We have landscape architects, arborists, horticulturists and botanists overseeing the parks as well as officers on duty at the park daily. "We just held a tree-planting event where over 1,000 trees were planted in Bukit Kerinchi. This is just one of the many efforts taken to preserve the forest for the future generation," he said. DBKL has also identified 14 other parks for the programme and next in line are Taman Rekreasi Pudu Ulu and Taman Metropolitan Batu. |
| Posted: 23 May 2013 06:58 AM PDT PUSPAKOM has introduced various measures to improve its operations at its vehicle inspection centres recently but vehicle owners are not satisfied as they feel more could be done to resolve their woes. Vehicle owners claimed that the equipment used to test their vehicles to meet Puspakom's standards were too advanced and that the inspection system was flawed, causing owners inconvenience. The unhappy customers said they faced difficulty passing the vehicle inspection, especially with vehicle's brake system which failed the competency test. They said vehicles that failed the brake test had to make countless trips before getting the nod. Some of them said they had taken their vehicles, including buses, taxis and trucks for as many as eight to 25 brake tests. They claimed that this, besides causing inconvenience, also led to losses as the vehicles could not be used unless certified as roadworthy. They also said they had to spend thousands of ringgit to adjust the brake system in order to comply with Puspakom's requirements. "All this is taking a toll on us as it can take months to sort out the problems. "My bus has not been on the road for about three months now, since it failed the brake test in February this year,'' said V. G. Raju, a factory bus driver. He said all he did during this time was take his bus to the workshop and try to correct the brake system. He added that his bus had undergone a total of 25 inspections at Puspakom. "Today is my 25th attempt. My employer has spent a lot of money to correct the brakes and as the driver, I find the vehicle in good condition. Yet, Puspakom is not satisfied," said Raju when met at the Padang Jawa Puspakom centre recently. A transport operator, who only identified himself as David, said he had brought his trucks at least 10 other times to undergo the brake test. He said his company had a fleet of 25 trucks that operated nationwide. "One of my trucks is going for its 23rd inspection and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will pass the test,'' he said. Another transport company operator, Mohd Kamal Arifin said, "We are in the dark about what Puspakom actually wants as its vehicle inspectors are unable to tell us what is wrong with the brake system,'' he said, adding that vehicle owners had to pay RM55 for the first inspection and RM25 subsequently. Puspakom's standards, Kamal said, was too stringent, even more so than in Singapore, making it difficult for commercial vehicles to meet the standards. "I have spent time and money trying to repair a perfectly working brake system. "We are being forced to correct something that is in working condition," said Kamal. When contacted, a Puspakom official said there was nothing wrong with their inspection process and that its inspectors were only carrying out their jobs. |
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