KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 ― A portion of the land that hosts the capital city's oldest Road Transport Department (RTD) office will be “swapped” for redevelopment, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced today.
The Seremban MP said the government will offer some of the 18-acre land parcel to any developer who will rebuild the RTD office located just off the busy Jalan Genting Klang here in return.
“We are open to any offer but with the condition that they build a new RTD office and quarters,” Loke told reporters after visiting the Puspakon inspection centre next to the RTD headquarters.
Loke said the Cabinet decision to swap the land followed long-standing complaints that the Puspakom inspection centre is causing severe traffic congestion and safety concerns for parents who send their children to the nearby vocational and special needs schools.
Loke also said the Wangsa Maju Puspakom hub will be relocated.
And as a short-term solution, the government has instructed all heavy vehicles to conduct their inspection in the Shah Alam centre, Selangor, starting December 24.
“The problem is the lorries they like to do the inspections the morning,” Loke said, noting the timing coincides with school time.
“We received complaints that teachers are regularly late for class,” the minister added.
Rerouting heavy vehicles to Shah Alam is expected to cut traffic by at least 20 per cent, Loke said.
The Wangsa Maju RTD office and Puspakom centre are among the busiest in the country. The former, built in the mid 90s, handles over 3,000 transactions a day.
Loke said the land swap deal proposal is meant to save cost. RTD could redevelop the area to make operations and traffic smoother with upgraded facilities for free.
Asked whether special consideration will be given to developers who would build affordable housing, the minister did not confirm but said they are welcome to the idea.
“Of course ideally it would be ideal to have affordable housing but we have to give leeway for some commercial development too,” he said.
“But we are open to good offer, including from DRB Hicom,” he said.
