PETALING JAYA, April 19 — Residents in the vicinity of Pusat Bandar Damansara are unhappy with the demolition work and impending construction of new office blocks.

Bangsar Park Residents Association chairman Nitesh Malani said the work had worsened the traffic jams around the area.

“The traffic congestion used to be tolerable but since the start of numerous developments, the situation has got worse,” he said.

Nitesh claimed that several of the buildings were approved by Kuala Lumpur City Hall without the knowledge of the residents.

“We have been demanding for clarification from the heads at City Hall but have only received vague responses,” he said.

The residential area is located about 4km from the construction site.

Nitesh said another issue residents had to deal with since the construction started was more snatch thefts.

“There were not many snatch theft cases previously but since the construction started, there have been five to six cases within two weeks,” he said.

He said Bangsar Park residents were also unhappy with the damage to the roads caused by lorries at the construction site.

“The roads are in bad condition and there are numerous potholes,” he said.

Demolition of the nine office blocks  that housed many government departments, including the Immigration offices, is still going on.

In their place will be Pavilion Damansara,  which is expected to be  connected to Pavilion KL via a 10-minute train ride.

Retiree Andy Tan, who lives in nearby Damansara Heights, said there had been road diversions that caused traffic congestion.

“I’m forced to leave my house earlier than usual these days as it takes longer to reach my destination,” he said.

Tan said road diversions were supposed to help drivers get to their destination easily but he believed the road planning in the area had not been properly carried out.

“It is disappointing City Hall is not taking action despite our complaints,” he said.

Businessman Raju Sheth, 56, who also lives in Damansara Heights, hoped there would be improvement in traffic distribution and fewer crimes in the near future.

“I hope City Hall will do something so the residents won't have to suffer as  long as the construction takes place,” he said.

* This is an updated version of the story published earlier.