SHAH ALAM - About 5,000 residents of Taman Alam Budiman, along with thousands of road users from Puncak Alam, Saujana Utama, Setia Alam and surrounding areas, continue to live with growing concern when using Persiaran Mokhtar Dahari (PMD), a road that has reportedly recorded repeated accidents for nearly 10 years.
Taman Alam Budiman Residents Association chairman Badrulhisham Shahbudin said accidents, including fatal ones, continue to occur even though parts of the road had previously been upgraded.
He said minor accidents allegedly happen almost daily, while fatal crashes occur from time to time, especially involving motorcyclists and car drivers.
“Just yesterday, there was another motorcycle accident and before that there was a case where two lives were lost at once near the hilltop area,” he said when met during a peaceful assembly urging authorities to address the issue near the traffic light open area in Alam Budiman last Saturday.
Earlier, about 100 residents of Taman Alam Budiman and surrounding housing areas held a peaceful gathering by the roadside of Persiaran Mokhtar Dahari, calling on authorities to speed up solutions to safety issues along the route.
The 30-minute gathering drew attention when participants carried a replica of a corpse as a symbolic gesture representing the repeated fatal accidents said to have occurred on the road.
Some participants also held banners expressing concern over the risk of accidents faced by daily road users.
Calls from residents echoed across the area as passing motorists honked in solidarity with demands for urgent action to address safety issues along the route.
Badrulhisham said one of the main concerns repeatedly raised by residents is the downhill stretch of the road, which is considered high-risk, especially for lorries and motorcycles.
He said there have been cases involving heavy vehicles believed to have experienced brake failure, leading to accidents on the route.
“Even though some upgrading works have been carried out, the main issue at the hill area still worries road users.
“The majority involved in accidents are motorcyclists because the road has bends and challenging conditions,” he said.
He added that the sharp increase in vehicle volume has worsened the situation, as PMD has now become a main route for residents from Puncak Alam, Saujana Utama, Setia Alam, Meru and surrounding areas travelling to Kuala Lumpur.
He said the opening of new road networks, including access to the Damansara–Shah Alam Highway (DASH), has significantly increased traffic compared to when the road was first built.
“Traffic volume now reaches tens of thousands of vehicles a day. Previously, many used alternative routes, but now PMD has become the main shortcut to Kuala Lumpur.
“When accidents happen, traffic jams can last for hours and affect thousands of users,” he said.
On possible solutions, Badrulhisham said residents hope that previously announced road widening and infrastructure projects can be expedited.
He said key demands include widening sections near traffic light junctions and constructing several flyovers to reduce congestion and improve safety.
“We don’t want to wait until more lives are lost. What is more important now is immediate action to reduce accident risks while long-term projects are implemented,” he said.
Greenhill Residents Association chairman Mohd Zailani Johari, 57, said traffic congestion on the route begins as early as 6.30am and continues late into the night.
Road users, he said, are forced to leave earlier to avoid being stuck in congestion, especially during peak hours.
“If you leave after dawn, the road is already congested and this continues during the evening rush hour, sometimes until night,” he said.
He added that residents are urging the federal government and the Selangor state government to expedite funding allocations so that road widening or flyover construction can be carried out.
“We do not want cost to be used as an excuse. If flyovers require large allocations, at least widen the road to three or four lanes in each direction to ease congestion,” he said.
He also said that beyond congestion, road safety remains a concern due to allegedly poorly maintained infrastructure.
According to him, several streetlights and other facilities along the route require urgent attention to reduce accident risks, especially at night.
Meanwhile, resident Muhammad Aizat Zulkafli, 37, said his experience involving a garbage truck that overturned in front of his sister’s car was one of the reasons he joined residents in urging immediate attention to safety on PMD.
He said his sister managed to stop her vehicle in time after maintaining a safe distance before the garbage truck lost control and overturned.
“If she had been slightly slower in braking, something unfortunate could have happened, including a collision with the garbage truck,” he said.
He added that the incident was not isolated, as several accidents involving garbage trucks and heavy lorries have occurred on the same road before.
He said this situation causes road users to remain constantly worried whenever they travel along the route, especially when near heavy vehicles.