More to be done to improve infrastructure

The success of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) enclave has raised the profile of Kuala Lumpur on the world map, but much still needs to be done for it to reach the status of other world-class cities such as New York, London and Singapore.

The plus features of the KLCC include the integrated nature of the development comprising the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, three shopping complexes (Suria KLCC, Pavilion KL and Avenue K), a number of five-star hotels, as well as food and beverage outlets.

According to Henry Butcher Marketing Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Tang Chee Meng, world-class cities have a wide range of social amenities and facilities such as shopping, healthcare, public recreational parks, places of worship and schools.

More green lung should be provided in the KLCC area to turn the area into a green enclave.

The infrastructure includes an efficient public transportation system to encourage residents to use public transport and help alleviate traffic congestion in the city.

Tang Chee Meng

“The local authorities should adopt a multi-pronged approach to tackle the severe traffic congestion problem by improving the connectivity of the three mass transit systems - STAR, PUTRA and KL Monorail – for the commuters' benefit,” Tang added.

Hall Chadwick Asia Sdn Bhd chairman Kumar Tharmalingam said that unlike Singapore and Hong Kong, which have well maintained pedestrian walkways and underground linkages, the facilities in the KLCC area were not well maintained.

To encourage people to walk instead of driving, Kumar said, better facilities should be provided for pedestrians.

“Like other major cities, traffic congestion and parking are posing a serious problem in the inner city, especially during peak hours,” PPC International Sdn Bhd executive director Thiruselvam Arumugam said.

To overcome this, he suggested the implementation of a surcharge or pricing system to limit the number of single-occupant vehicles entering the Golden Triangle and inner city area, especially during peak hours.

Reapfield Properties Sdn Bhd president David Ong said the provision of more dedicated lanes for public transport such as buses and taxis in the area would help, along with policies to curtail passenger cars from entering certain congested roads.

Meanwhile, Zerin Properties chief executive officer Previndran Singhe said more parking facilities were needed in the city centre to support the rapid growth of the city.

“There should also be more taxis, shuttle buses and light rail transit plying the inner city routes to alleviate the severe shortage of parking around the city centre.

“In addition, more green lung should be provided in the KLCC area to turn the area into a green enclave,” he said.

By The Star