If you have been walking around Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur, you would have seen the walkways being broken up in order to make the pavements wider for pedestrians, which has caused parking bays being taken away for the construction, resulting into bikers parking their bikes in any vacant space.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) project currently is to build a seamless walkway that is 2.2km. It is also a part of the River of Life (RoL) initiative. The roads affected among roads affected are Jalan Scott, Jalan Tun Sambanthan 4, Jalan Thambipillay, Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad and Jalan Tebing.
Ultimately, this has greatly affected the blind community. A blind man, K. Murugan, 24, released a video on May 14, showing how motorcycles parked on the walkways, obstructing his pathway. The video garnered a lot of attention as soon as it was uploaded, most of them expressing sympathy.
“I bumped into a motorbike and I heard a man curse me saying that I should die,” said Murugan as quoted from The Star Online.
“My question is, why shouldn’t people like me be alive. Don’t we have the right to live? So why are our walking paths always obstructed?”
“There is a new government now, and everyone is saying that it is a new Malaysia. So I hope people will try to change and be more considerate. This kind of inconsiderate habit must change.”
“Brickfields has so many visually impaired residents and visitors. Everything that happens here must include our views and feelings,’’ he said.
“Our paths are constantly hampered by obstructions. Be it a motorcycle, hawker stall, a table or even a chair.
“DBKL has been working on this project for five months and everything is so messy right now.
“Last week one of my friends was almost knocked down by a bus. Enough is enough; DBKL should summon those who park on walkways, or better still, confiscate their vehicles,’’ he added.
According to DBKL project management executive director Datuk Mahadi Che Ngah, he stated that it was a challenge to keep motorcyclists from parking on pedestrian walkways.
“We are trying to upgrade the walking paths for the public, but, it is unfortunate that motorcyclists are also parking on the walking paths and blocking the way,’’
“We will identify some of the carparks in the area and turn them into motorcycle bays.”
“For the interim, we will put up signage warning motorists and motorcyclists not to park on pedestrian walkways.”