KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — Kuala Lumpur City Hall must implement a moratorium (stop order) on new development projects in the Mont Kiara and Hartamas areas until the traffic congestion problems can be overcome.

Segambut Member of Parliament, Hannah Yeoh said she had received many complaints from residents concerning unplanned developments resulting in critical traffic congestions in the two areas.

"I am told by Kuala Lumpur City Hall, there are two proposals to reduce congestions including constructing entry and exit routes for the Malay Reserve and Sungai Pencala areas to the Sprint Highway and upgrading the Persiaran Dutamas/Jalan Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Junction to the Pencala Link/NKVE Highway.

"But, before any development project is approved, Kuala Lumpur City Hall must implement the Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) first to smoothen the surrounding traffic flows,” she told reporters after visiting the construction of an outdoor gym at Desa Sri Hartamas, today.

The Woman, Family and Community Development deputy minister said before the 2020 Kuala Lumpur Development Plan was gazetted, many development projects which were approved in the national capital did not conduct TIA in detail resulting in serious traffic congestions in certain areas.

"Indeed, we cannot do anything now with those projects which were approved before the 2020 Kuala Lumpur Development Plan was gazetted, except that I am asking for the TIA to be done first before approving a development project,” she said.

Earlier, Yeoh said the Segambut Member of Parliament’s office had allocated over RM90,000 to build five sets of outdoor gyms in five locations in her parliamentary area.

"We allocate RM19,799 at every location for an outdoor gym set as requested by local residents and the maintenance will be handed to the Department of Landscaping and Recreational Development, Kuala Lumpur City Hall,” she said.

She said the five locations involved were in Jalan 34/70A Desa Sri Hartamas, Taman Tasik Menjalara, Jalan Setiapuspa Medan Damansara, Jalan Udang Galah 3 Taman Cuepacs and Jalan Sri Hartamas 3 Taman Sri Hartamas. — Bernama