Driving up to Third Beach. Access decision based on police advice: TAED
Published on: Thursday, May 25, 2023
“It is also to discourage public swimming due to very poor water quality at Third Beach according to TAED’s EIA Consultant,” Pandikar said. - FMT pic
Kota Kinabalu: The public can access Tanjung Aru Beach which was re-opened to the public since November 2021.
Only that the visitors are not allowed to drive into the Third Beach area but park by the roadside about 30 feet away from the beach.
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“The decision to block the entrance of Third Beach was on the advice of Tanjung Aru police to control illicit activities as the place is pitch-black at night.
“It is also to discourage public swimming due to very poor water quality at Third Beach according to TAED’s EIA Consultant,” said Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, the Chairman of Tanjung Aru Eco Development Sdn Bhd (TAEDSB).
“Despite the closure to vehicles, visitors can still access the Third Beach from First Beach and Second Beach, so what’s the fuss?”
“However, some irresponsible people are still entering the premises illegally by cutting off barricade tapes, wires and indiscriminately dumping garbage and throwing rubbish all over the beach park,” he said.
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He said ever since DBKK handed over the responsibility of managing the cleanliness as well as the general upkeep of the public parks to TAED in January 2022, TAEDSB has used funds raised through collection of parking fees and various rental income.
However, TAEDSB has to cover shortfall in upkeep and maintenance expenditures.
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No less than 30 full-time general workers have been hired to maintain the upkeep of the park, including employees for grass-cutting, rubbish collection, basic landscaping, beach and drain cleaning, parking attendants and 24-hour security workers who also assist in the control of traffic during peak hours at the roundabout.
Scheduled maintenance work and cleaning activities are carried out from 7am till 4pm daily with extra focus on the public’s favourite places within Prince Philip Park, namely the beachfront and hawkers’ centre.
“The RM2 parking fee per entry is used for upkeep and upgrading the public park.
The management is in the process of installing and upgrading the water supply and repairing streetlights in the Prince Philip Park that have been vandalised,” said Pandikar.
He was responding to a Daily Express report “Beach goers unhappy over parking fee”.
He said it is now a common practice all over the world that some form of charges are levied on visitors to public and national parks.
“For example, a visitor to Mt Kinabalu National Park or Poring Hot Spring has to pay RM10 per entry and RM5 for parking.
“TAEDSB is only charging parking fees, and these collections are not for profit but to help upkeep the public park.
“Nobody complains about paying parking fees when they go to a shopping mall where they actually spend money,” he noted.
Pandikar said TAEDSB plans to open campsite areas which will include centralised barbeque areas, basic kitchen facilities, washing and dining areas for campers in July.
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