Highlight LRT project contractor gets stop work order, residents voice safety concerns

by **Cals** Mon 19 Aug 2013, 10:24

Highlight LRT project contractor gets stop work order, residents voice safety concerns
Business & Markets 2013
Written by fz.com (contributor to theedgemalaysia.com)
Monday, 19 August 2013 09:34

PETALING JAYA (Aug 18): The Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) has issued a stop-work order against the main contractor of the Kelana Jaya Line LRT extension project, TRC SYNERGY BHD [], after a 50-metre-high crane collapsed on a parked car along Jalan USJ2/3A yesterday.

MPSJ councillor Dr Loi Kheng Min, who had visited the site after the accident occurred, said the council will also be convening for a technical meeting tomorrow to discuss the next step to take on the matter.

“It seems to me there was a structural weakness in the crane so it snapped,” he told fz.com.

“It was not an overhead crane. It was used in doing piling work and in the midst of work, it collapsed,” said Loi, adding the crane has a 50-tonne capacity.

Around 5.45 pm yesterday, the crawler crane collapsed on a parked Chevrolet SUV along the residential road, the tip of the crane nearly causing damage to a corner house perimeter wall.

No one was injured in the incident but the incident caused a nasty traffic snarl.

Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (Prasarana) has also issued a stop work order against TRC and has commenced a full investigation into the incident, said its project development division director Zulkifli Mohd Yusoff.

He said the state-owned public transport operator would provide a post-mortem report to the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) upon completion of the investigation.

“Prasarana would be working closely with all the relevant authorities to facilitate the investigation,” he added in a statement.

This is the second mishap this year involving TRC.

On March 29, Prasarana ordered the LRT extension work to be suspended after CONSTRUCTION [] equipment fell off the railtrack in Subang and killed a motorist.

Prasarana Group Communications and Strategic Marketing executive vice president Lim Jin Aun said the company is taking the latest accident “very seriously.”

“We are actually quite disturbed. We are considering all options at the moment and we will not hesitate to terminate the services of the contractor,” he said.

Accidents waiting to happen

Resident Leon Loke, 42, said another structure along the road has also raised safety concerns.

The structure supporting a portion of the track seems to flimsy, he said.

“We use that road every day. We are quite afraid something can happen and the structure will collapse on the cars,” he said.

Former MPSJ councillor Rajiv Rishyakaran said the scaffolding on the main road from The Summit is also worrying.

“These are all accidents waiting to happen,” he said.

Rajiv said the safety assurances and measures provided by Prasarana to residents upon raising concerns in the recent past have not been “very convincing.”

“We have been raising concerns of safety for months. We know that the workspace is limited, that they cannot do the work in an optimum environment,” he said.

“But their assurances and measures have not been very convincing,” he added.

He said MPSJ also needs to step up its role and take charge of safety concerns.

“Instead of pushing it to DOSH, the council should take a more proactive role as well,” he said.

“It is time to have proper standards be put in place,” he added.

Meanwhile, Subang Jaya Resident’s Association president A.S. Gill said Prasarana has to ensure such incidences do not repeat.

“We are very disappointed. They must find out the root cause of the problem and make sure it does not happen again,” he said.

Gill said although the incident occurred in USJ 2, the LRT extension project also covers part of Subang Jaya within the vicinities of heavy traffic flow and other public spaces.

“For us, it will come near the New Pantai Expressway (NPE) but it has not started yet. We have been meeting Prasarana over the safety concerns and they have been very receptive and accommodating,” he said.

“Currently, residents in certain areas have complained about the diversion of traffic near the Jengka roundabout from the construction site nearby. We raised it last week with them and they said they would look into the matter,” he added.