Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Highway Consumers Ain't Stupid

For the past umpteenth days (or rather, months), toll concessionaire Grand Saga had been building a barricade, forcing Bandar Mahkota Cheras (BMC) residents to travel additional 6km in order to pass through the toll plaza on the Cheras-Kajang Highway (CKH), whenever BMC residents need to travel to Kuala Lumpur City. Well, when a company wanted to force its consumer to 'buta-buta' travel additional route and to pay toll-fare somemore, of course BMC residents are not very happy about it. Consumer rights are being challenged! So, over and over again they have been 'blasting off' the barricades, just to find out that the barricades are rebuilt the next day. There was once where the police have to use tear gas to rid the angry residents.

So sad - consumer rights were challenged and mocked just like that.

Read MalaysiaKini news about the Cheras Grand Saga here. Also, see map below. Red route marks the simplest route from BMC to KL, free of toll charges. Blue route marks the additional 6-km long route which passes through the toll plaza - in the event a barricade was built on the red spot.


But then, there is still a peaceful solution. No need to fight with Grand Saga. No need to vandalize their belongings. And, no need to be rough. Just be a good citizen, and travel just a little bit further, possibly another 2-km route, into Cheras Perdana before coming out to CKH. Free of toll charge. How ah? Aiyoyo... KL people should know and be adventurous a bit la... See pictures below.


So, problem solved. Haha!

You may try to argue with me. But before that, let me tell you - I have traveled from Mid Valley to UNITEN and back, without paying a single sen on toll fare. Umpteenth time! Wanna argue? Try it first yourself before you do that!

Maps and pictures are courtesy of MalaysiaKini and Google Map.

17 comments:

GoodIdea said...

Good Idea.
Can someone erect direction signboard to guide highway consumers.

LALILOo said...

Yes, it is do-able.
I use part of this route almost everyday. If all were to take this as a protest route, it will create an artificial surge in traffic around the surrounding areas of Cheras Perdana and Batu 11 area.

But, for a good cause and being sympathetic to the residents of BMC and Sg Long, most would not mind to this.

Go ahead.

flygoon said...

Good idea and good effort in showing this in your blog.

Matrix said...

print out the map and distribute to the residents. Way to go!

Pearls said...

Yah man!!!

Although I dont stay anywhere near Cheras and travel everywhere by train and taxi everyday, I can't help feeling pissed with Grand Saga for being so gangster about this fiasco! How can the interest of a business entity overtake the interest of a community which comprises of human!? Ish!

Anyway, I was just thinking about this problem during my monotonious morning train ride to work and thought why can't there be another access road made? Can't the Selangor state government go survey and make a new access road somewhere? How that I see you have mentioned it, I dont think my thoughts are so 'crazy' afterall. hehehe..

KK said...

I want to suggest that Selangor government make the toll free route stated in this blog to be one way during peak hour. This will become like highway and rival grand saga....

Anonymous said...

There is an alternate toll free way where one can bypass both the toll plazas
One has to travel through the earlier portion shown in the map above, but instead or rejoininng the CKH at the Bandar Tun Hussein Onn (BTHO) interchange, drive into BTHO itself and via Bkt Anggerik and Taman Lensen, and emerge to join the CKH at Plaza Phoenix.This avoids the 2 toll altogether.
I am willing to show the route if one can organise a gathering or a convoy for the residents of BMC.
Cheers.

maxwell said...

Although nI stay in Pg, I m realy mad about this issue.

How can the police fire tear gas on the residents-taxpayers who pay their salaries?
And how can any decent companies hire thugs to whack the residents?

Such things can only happen in Malaysia- a very fascist country that has done very well in projecting its moderate leanings to the world.

In the larger scheme of things, we--residents--are probably 'nobody'.

If the PKR government does not immediately do what is necessary to restore justice----

Well that is expected. After all we the 'nobody residents' are so used to non-performance and non-delivery.

But we know what to do.

Unknown said...

A very good alternatve indeed.. No need for protest, remove barricade etc etc, get tear gas and baton charged by FRU who are in cohorts with GS..

To make a bigger impact, Cheras folks should unite and avoid GS toll altogether, using other alternative routes or tolls, perhaps say once a week.. as a sign of protest. It's legal and it will make one hell of an impact on GS wallet. After all, to GS.. only money counts!!

Malaysian Malaysia said...

Will the state Govt please sue Grand Saga now for RM10 billion for trepassing into State Govt Land without written consent.

Only State Govt have local Standi to sue Grand Saga.

yowchuan said...

David,

You should erect a signboard at the barricade and post this instructions there.

Don't forget to sign off as "Atas Perintah Makkal Sakhti" :-)

Cheers!

10 Joules said...

hm, it seems to me from the map that the toll free alternative suggested is through the residential areas. What people here are suggesting is to turn small enighbourhood roads, roads that run directly in front of many resident's houses into a noisy highway. Now that's not very nice is it?

Toll-free access at the expense of residents'peace and quiet is equivalent to solving one problem by creating another one. Feedback from the homes that will be affected must be taken.

Anyway, that's still a pretty long detour though, so probably only people who are not in a rush or those who can really sustain their hatred for the highway consessionaire for long periods of time will be using this route regularly.

BMC Resident said...

Last nite incedent is the most urgly i ever seen in my life .........

According to the residents there, Grand Saga has hired at least 30 "Gangster" or so called Kongsi Gelap to cordinate and help them to re-block the access road .......My question is ....
1.Why a highway company hired such people there?
2.They dont hv their own workers to cordinate the works?
3.Wat their intention from begining? Issit to hurt the peoples or residents there ?

The shocking moment happend arond 7pm when the residents trying to pull down the road block .........But out of sudden, at least 20 gangster mentioned above attack the empty hand residents with steel,wood stick and helment........They not only attack residents also some cars park at tat area ......More then 10 ppls injured in the inccident and few are badly hurt like broken hand and head ......Few policeman are there but there not even taking any action to stop the Gangster .....Some related report .....

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/28/nation/21381222&sec=nation

http://www.chinapress.com.my/content_new.asp?dt=2008-05-28&sec=malaysia&art=0528mb10.txt

http://www.merdekareview.com/news.php?n=6838

http://malaysiakini.com/

The most urgly and shocking moment following then when the FRU arrived which support to protect the residents but unforturenately the worst senario happend when they attacking a driver n passanger tat they claimed "driven his car in aggresive manner" My question is if u feel tat way u can arrest him but not to hit him ...somemore his car also damaged by the FRU n police....Pls refer the link below for the incident....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ErehM-q3rSc

Wat kind of Federal gvt tat we having now until let tis kind of things happend .......

The residets of Bandar Mahkota Cheras are going to Parlimen on this Thursday to send a memorendum to Work Misnister to solve out the problem .........For those who want to support them can be there at 9.30 am to show u all also care about the issue .....The issue is not only related to BMC residents but i think is also about the benefits of the Rakyat Malaysia .....Pls show ur suport to them ans also fight for ur own right....

The detail as below ...

Date : 29-05-2008
Time : 9.30am
Venue : Parlimen Malaysia

Unknown said...

greetings friends.
may i present a new point of view?
who (which gov agency) approved the plan of the access road to the hiway by the BMC developer?
surely they must be some rational for this approval (they just cant buta2 "Lulus - Saya yang menurut perintah") or there's no need of such approval?

Collecting Moments said...

I agree, everyone should avoid the two tolls, use alternative routes and wait for GS to "zap lap" (bungkus/bankrupt) How can these GS/police/fru ppl sleep peacefully at night?

Unknown said...

BMC resident
better4 u 2 chart ur alternative route; u can't tell ,those SOBn!!might think of barricading in front of parliment!!!GS=BN=AMNO=CORRUPTION=poooorakyat

BMC Resident said...

Actualy the road was approved b4 the HW was contructed ......But u know Malaysia Boleh Spirit ...Semua boleh .....

Not bcos we dont want to use others alternative road but tat road is our garden MAIN ROAD and all house owners paid RM5k each for tat road in the house price ....

NOW they blocked it more then 2 years without any strong reason ....

Even today we went to Parlimen n they also not allowed us to go in ...Just allowed one representative for the press conference ......