Look out for potholes when you drive

PETALING JAYA: Potholes are the bane of motorists and have been known to cause fatalities in the country, particularly among motorcyclists.

Damage sustained by vehicles driven over potholes also results in the owners needing to fork out money for costly repairs.

In Shah Alam, motorcycle repair shop owner Nurul Nazeley Sulaiman, 38, said motorcycles were more prone than others to damage from potholes.

“The recurring issue for motorcycles brought into the workshop are damaged rims.

“The typical cost for new ones is around RM180. Original rims could go up to RM500,” he said, adding that rim replacement was done in cases considered only as “minor damage”.

When it rains, the potholes are even harder to detect.

“I repaired one motorcycle that was involved in a terrible pothole accident. The replacement of parts cost nearly RM500, which included replacing a motorcycle fork (RM180), wheel bearing (RM180) and motorcycle shaft (RM25 per shaft).

He said large vehicles swerving to avoid potholes would also pose great risks to motorcyclists.

“Recently, when I was riding my motorbike and unable to avoid a pothole, I slipped and fell onto the road.

“Luckily, there were no vehicles around and I managed to pick myself up. I sustained minor injuries and it cost me RM340 to replace my motorcycle’s damaged rims,” he recounted.

If the potholes were deep, he said, motorcyclists might be at risk of major injuries or even death.

“This is a serious concern in Malaysia, where motorcycles make up a significant number of the country’s vehicles on the road,” he pointed out.

While cars are better able to withstand damage from driving over potholes, their owners face higher repair costs.

Bandar Puteri Puchong workshop technician Siva Raman said that on the occasions that a car was sent for repair due to potholes, it usually involved replacing the rims.

“Repairs for a dented rim will cost around RM1,000, but if it is badly damaged, the vehicle’s lower arm bar near the brake disc will need to be changed and that will cost up to RM2,000.

“The cost is particularly burdensome for low-income drivers, who may not be able to afford the repair cost.

“In some cases, the vehicle owners choose to ignore the damage, which can lead to even more severe damage and a higher repair bill down the line,” said Siva.

Last year, Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) made headlines when it was ordered by a magistrate’s court to pay Dr Fahrurrazi Hamid RM2,980 for damage to his car.

Dr Fahrurrazi received compensation for two tyres, four tyre rims and other fees.

He said he had hit the pothole while driving at night on Jalan Sungai Long near the Budiman Business Park intersection in Kajang.

“The hole was at least 10cm to 15cm deep and caused damage to my car rims.

“Road condition problems are a recurrent issue in Malaysia.

“It is a serious matter as these potholes can cause injury or death.

“Local authorities need to be proactive in fixing roads to prevent accidents.

“In addition, the pavement quality should be improved to prevent the potholes from reappearing,” said Dr Fahrurrazi.

The country’s dire road conditions have prompted the creation of a non-governmental organisation.

Azlan Sani Zawawi, better known as Lando, started Ikatan Silaturahim Brotherhood (Brotherhood Malaysia) with the aim of fixing potholes and advocating road safety.

“Many of my friends had fallen off their motorcycles due to potholes and a few had died from such accidents,” he said.

He claimed that he had single-handedly repaired over 3,000 potholes while his organisation had repaired over 10,000 potholes nationwide since 2007.

Typically, the organisation advised road users to lodge complaints to the authorities and would intervene if there was no action within three days, he said.

“In April, there was a court case in Pasir Gudang that involved an accidental death due to a pothole and I hired a lawyer to represent the victim’s family,” he added.

According to Azlan, Brotherhood Malaysia made four road markings on potholes around Petaling Jaya in March.

One site was a pothole located along Jalan PJS1/25.

He said the act of painting markers on the road to point to the potholes was to pressure the authorities to carry out repair work.

A Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) representative said the pothole along Jalan PJS1/25 was repaired and the road was partially closed on March 6 for a few days.

Petaling Jaya resident Tracy Toh said she had filed hundreds of pothole complaints to MBPJ and often had to follow up.

She said the issue of jurisdiction also made reporting problematic – if a road fell under the Public Works Department (JKR), MBPJ will refer the complainant to JKR instead of forwarding the complaint.

After Toh reported to MBPJ about a concrete grating that was missing slabs, she said MBPJ responded that the road beside the former SS2 Mall was not under its jurisdiction.

“Another problem is that MBPJ allows utility companies to dig up the roads but does not ensure those companies resurface the roads after the work is completed,” she said, citing how main roads in Section 13 and 14 had been left in bad condition for years despite residents’ complaints.

“Section 14’s commercial area also has many potholes that are filed under ‘Penyelesaian Jangka Panjang’ (long-term resolution) by MBPJ.”

Toh, who also frequently drives on Kuala Lumpur roads, said DBKL’s dedicated channel for pothole complaints was a lot more responsive but potholes reappear soon after repairs or road surfaces are uneven after repairs are carried out.

Alliance for Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said that for decades, every government that came into power had failed to take a serious approach to solve the issue.

“Potholes are a nationwide problem because Malaysia lacks proper maintenance culture.

“Local councils should have a mobile team conduct regular inspections of roads and immediately alert the relevant department to repair the potholes,” he suggested.

Citing the MPKj case, Lee said the public should take legal action against local governments for their failure to maintain public roads.

“When roads are resurfaced, the quality of the materials used is often poor.

“This lack of material durability makes the roads susceptible to damage from heavy vehicles,” he said.

He said that another major contributing factor to road damage was the presence of ageing underground pipes.

“When these pipes leak, they slowly weaken the surrounding road surface, leading to the formation of small holes that can become dangerous to road users over time.

“The government should convene a Cabinet meeting to discuss the issue of potholes.

“The relevant minister should bring up the matter and request the Prime Minister’s intervention.

“The Prime Minister is able to issue directives to ensure that every town and local authority implements a ‘Zero Pothole’ policy. The local authorities should be held fully responsible,” said Lee.

He said the adoption of such a policy would issue a clear directive to local governments to prioritise road maintenance and establish a sustainable maintenance culture.

“If the issue is a lack of funds for maintenance, the local authority must ensure that it has adequate funding and sufficient budget allocation to ensure regular maintenance,” he added.

Several roads with potholes are plaguing Klang Valley road users.

StarMetro detected three areas with recurring potholes: the entrance of MRT Semantan North Portal along Jalan Damansara heading towards Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, Jalan Sultan Ismail near the Jalan P. Ramlee junction in Kuala Lumpur, while in Petaling Jaya, they can be found in Persiaran Surian from Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) heading towards Kota Damansara.

MBPJ and DBKL did not respond at press time.