Vehicles parked near SEA Games location to be towed away beginning today

Private vehicles parked near roads involved with the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games (KL2017) will be towed away by police beginning today.

Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Datuk Amar Singh Ishar Singh said the move, which would be assisted by Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, was to avoid massive traffic congestion at 20 event venues throughout the Games, scheduled to begin on Aug 19.

"Road users are advised not to use their private vehicles to go to the venues of the 29th SEA Games and should instead use public transport to avoid traffic congestion," he said at a press conference, here today.

Also present was Kuala Lumpur Traffic Police Chief, ACP Mohd Nadzri Hussain.

Amar Singh said vehicles parked near the event venues would be towed away to the nearest subtek before being taken to the Sungai Besi Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) for further action.

Owners of the towed vehicles, he said, would be compounded RM300, and charged RM50 per day for parking fees besides the towing charge of RM100 according to the law.

"If the vehicle owner concerned does not make any claim, the vehicle would then be auctioned off," he said.

The road closure or deviation, he said, was only being carried out at the KL Sports City, that is, from the Sukom interchange heading toward Jalan Merah Cagar beginning Aug 14, as early as 6 am until the conclusion of the event and no road closure would be made permanently at the other venues.

He said traffic congestion was also expected to occur on routes heading toward the event venues and athlete accommodation.

"In this context, the JSPT with a staff strength of 1,098 would monitor and control traffic flow by making deviations or road closures along the affected routes," he said.

The athletes would be escorted by traffic policemen on motorcycles and cars during the journey to and from the accommodation venues to the event sites, he said while appealing to members of the public to make way for the police and athlete vehicles.

Amar Singh said JSPT personnel would be deployed throughout the 10 routes to the athletes' hotel accommodations such as Jalan Ampang, Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Imbi, Jalan Raja Chulan, Jalan Pinang, Lebuhraya Maju Expressway (MEX), KL-Seremban Highway and the Federal Highway.

Members of the public can refer to the official websites of the Land Public Transport Commission at spad.gov.my for information on public transportation throughout the Games period.

KL2017 officially begins on Aug 19 and ends on Aug 30.

-- BERNAMA