KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 ― The one-kilometre stretch along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR) here will only be closed to private vehicles during weekends, said an unidentified source.
The person told local daily New Straits Times (NST) that the weekend-only closure was the result of a meeting yesterday between the Federal Territories Ministry, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and trader groups around the Jalan TAR area.
The source also said the trial run to make the affected stretch along Jalan TAR into a pedestrian mall must first be gazetted by the Attorney General.
“We will start on a trial basis on weekends. If the response is positive, we will take it from there. The traders have agreed to this.
“Buses, taxis and ambulances will be allowed through,” the source was quoted saying by NST.
NST said the source declined to say if the trial run would kick in on March 15 (Friday), or on March 16 which would be the start of the weekend.
Those present at the meeting yesterday at Menara DBKL 1 were Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad, Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan, and those from the Batu Road Retailers' Association and the Masjid India Business Owners Association.
Yesterday, Khalid said the decision on the proposal to close Jalan TAR to all vehicles would be announced next Tuesday (March 12).
Khalid said the decision would take into account an online survey where respondents were split between wanting to close the road or to keep it open to vehicles, but noted that priority will be given to traders on the ground.
On February 13, Khalid had said a one-kilometre stretch along Jalan TAR would be closed off to private vehicles from March 15 onwards and only pedestrians and buses would be allowed to use the affected stretch, which starts from Jalan Esfahan near the SOGO mall to Jalan Melayu.
Khalid later said he had made the announcement to get responses from the public, as they did not give much feedback on the idea previously.
