Improving access roads in Kobusak, Jalan Bantayan-Minintod
Published on: Wednesday, February 01, 2023
By: Sidney Skinner
One of the agency’s staff in the midst of sealing the potholes at another part of the Plaza.
THE Penampang District Council plans to improve the access road to some apartments in the Kobusak area and is keeping an eye on the stretches around a commercial centre off Jalan Bantayan-Minintod.This follows feedback about the inconvenience caused by the damaged sections of the roads at these locations.
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The two drivers, who highlighted this, provided Hotline with the name of the stretches where they were respectively living and working. This information was forwarded to the agency.
The numerous potholes are a source of frustration to drivers living in and around Mutiara Court.
A Council spokesman said it intended to “redo and reseal” the road leading to Mutiara Court.
“Based on an inspection of Lorong Mutiara, which our staff made earlier this month, we have determined that this is going to be a big job,” he said on January 31.
“We are in the midst of preparing the necessary documents to try and obtain the funds which will enable us to upgrade the road.
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“Once we have secured an allocation, a tender will be called for this purpose.”
The agency tentatively hoped to have the road refurbished by the first half of the year, according to him.
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He said the Council’s road-patching gang recently dealt with the stretches around Country Heights Plaza.
A Council personnel gauges the extent of damage to Lorong Mutiara.
“Five of our workers sealed the affected portions around the shophouses, after we managed to replenish our stock of asphalt.”
When asked how often the agency’s roads were maintained, he said this was done as and when it became necessary to do so.
“Budgetary constraints and the limited amount of asphalt available to us at any one time prevent us from doing this according to a fixed schedule.
“Nevertheless, we will continue to monitor the stretches under our care to ensure that they do not become too much of a frustration to drivers.”
However, given the extensiveness of the Council’s rating area, the spokesman admitted that its technicians could not be everywhere at once to determine which of these roads were damaged.
An RPG member blows away the small stones from around the damaged sections of the road.
“To this end, we hope the public will inform us directly of such irregularities so that action can be taken to deal with these problems as soon as possible.”
EILEEN of Penampang said the numerous potholes, which had formed in the road surrounding Mutiara Court, were a source of frustration to drivers staying in the area.
“They wind up scraping the undercarriage of the vehicles each time they go over the damaged sections of the stretch,” she said.
“The potholes have become so numerous that road-users can no longer swerve to avoid them.”
She suspected that this damage might have been caused because the roadside drains overflowed during a downpour.
“The water which pools on the stretch takes some time to recede after the rain has passed.”
Eileen said she had reported these problems to the local authorities on several occasions.
“In each instance, workers came to ‘patch-up’ the potholes after each complaint.
The Council’s workers pour the asphalt over the potholes which have formed in this part of Country Heights Plaza.
“Any relief, drivers might gain through these efforts is only temporary, however, as the damage resurfaces after a few months.”
STU, who runs a shop at Country Heights Plaza, said the damaged roads around the property reflected poorly on Penampang’s status as a major town centre.
“Many of the proprietors here are unhappy about the potholes as potential customers are reluctant to patronise their establishments because of these road woes, he said.
“Some of these shopkeepers have voiced their concern to the local authorities but, so far, the situation has yet to improve.”
He claimed to have contacted the Council, time and time again, about the damaged stretches at the Plaza.
Stu said motorists, who lived at apartments behind the Plaza, relied on some of these roads to reach the blocks where their units were located.
“I suspect that the heavy traffic may be contributing to the poor condition of these roads.”
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