Spot the missing traffic light

Driving past the Jalan Puchong Utama 3 intersection in Puchong, Kuala Lumpur, is now a tough job to do as a missing traffic light continues to pose a grave threat to motorists.

Puchong Public Complaints Bureau chief, Kuan Chee Heng, says the traffic light opposite of the Carrefour hypermarket and bus stations collapsed four months ago due to being installed on unsuitably soft soil.

He notes that motorists from Jalan PU 7/5 must now run the gauntlet when attempting to merge with traffic.

“If they just turn right and go in high speed, they might collide with straight-going traffic from Jalan Puchong Utama 3,” he cautions, on a visit to the site.

A bus driver, who wishes to be known as Lau, says the missing traffic light makes it hard to navigate his big and slower moving vehicle in the traffic.

“Sometimes when I want to turn, cars that are going straight do not give way,” he bemoans, adding that there is no island to separate traffic.

Taxi driver Hassim Osman says he knows of at least three accidents at the area since the lights collapsed.

Kuan says the issue has dragged because both the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) and Carrefour have said the other is responsible for replacing the traffic light.

Carrefour first installed the traffic lights as a condition of its building approval.

“We don’t care who owns the traffic lights now, but somebody must build it for the motorists,” Kuan (below, right) says.

“Upgrade Puchong Utama NRD office”

On a separate issue, he also urges Federal Government to upgrade the National Registration Department (NRD) and Immigration Department offices in Taman Puchong Utama to cope with the growing crowds, which easily surpasses 500 people daily.

“Many USJ, Serdang and Puchong residents visit this office to process their passports or identification cards, it’s overcrowding,” he says.

The two-in-one office now has four counters each for the NRD and Immigration Department.

“The officials need to work until 9pm to cope with the crowds,” he says.

He hopes the office can be upgraded to have two floors and a special counter for pregnant women, the disabled and elderly.

Bandar Puteri Puchong resident Andrew Tiong notes that the office is a stone’s throw away from a bus station, which is convenient for public but “it needs additional space”.