Monday December 3, 2012
By JASTIN AHMAD TARMIZI
jastin@thestar.com.my
Tender soon finalised: Ahmad Phesal said that the tender process for the new Itis upgrades will be completed in January after meeting with KL MPs at the DBKL headquarters recently.
KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is conducting an open tender to appoint new contractors to improve the Integrated Transport Information System (Itis).
Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib said the process would be finalised in January.
“We have started the tender process and we expect it to be completed in January. Through the new project, we will add 1,200 CCTVs and 140 Variable Message Signs (VMS) to the system,” he said during a press conference after meeting with Kuala Lumpur MPs at the DBKL headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut.
Earlier, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar pointed out during the meeting with the mayor that the new contractors for the system would add to the already hefty sum of RM300mil spent on previous contractors.
The Itis traffic management project was meant to develop and integrate information systems on traffic and transportation to overcome congestion in the Klang Valley.
The system that was installed in 2004 features closed-circuit television cameras variable messa- ge signs to inform motorists of the traffic situation and the alternative routes to take in Kuala Lumpur.
It was reported however, that half of the equipment purchased for a sum of RM136mil by City Hall for the Integrated Transport Information System were not working.
For example, only 88% of the 1,600 Automatic Vehicle Location System (AVLS) purchased for RM11mil have been made use of.
City Hall explained that the unused units were stock for equipment replacement in the event any AVLS was damaged during operations.
However, the AVLS was discontinued in July 2008 due to high maintenance costs, vandalism and a lack of cooperation from operation managers and vehicle drivers.
The CCTVs, Automatic Incident Detection system and AVLS all wo-rk together to help Itis manage traffic.
The data gathered is sent to the Transport Management Centre, where congestion and incid- ent maps are created and sent to travellers via the Variable Message Signs on roads, Itis’ call centre and the Internet.
However, the Auditor-General’s Report found that 70% of users did not know the hotline number to get the latest traffic informat- ion while almost 65% of them never used Itis online to get the latest traffic information.
“The management of the Itis project on the whole is unsatisfactory,” the report stated.
City Hall had replied that it wou-ld take measures to inform the public about Itis services through Facebook and Twitter, among others.
On the public housing is- sue, Ahmad Phesal said DBKL planned to build affordable units with the ceiling price of RM300,000 and minimum built-up of 800 sq ft on DBKL land.
“We are in discussions with the Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry. They are now drafting guidelines that will be used by City Hall,” he said.
“We are also looking at the appropriate percentage of affordable homes. We cannot leave out the low-cost housing category. In the high-end category, I do not think we have a problem,” he said.
Ahmad Phesal also said that DBKL would look into the current state of the Pudu Market.
“I will visit the market to see its condition for myself. If it is a bad entity for Kuala Lumpur, we have to do something,” he said.
Cheras MP Tan Kok had earlier voiced concerns about the market.
“Despite being the biggest market in the country, the place is in a sorry state. It is an embarassment for the nation’s capital city,” he said.
Also present at the meeting were Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, Batu MP Tian Chua, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong.
Extracted from The Star:
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/12/3/central/12403816&sec=central
