Liaw (fifth right) presenting a souvenir to Yeo.
KOTA KINABALU: The Economic Planning Unit (EPU) under the Prime Minister’s Department has, in principle, approved an allocation of RM643 million to implement a one-way traffic system in Kota Kinabalu.
Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai said the one-way traffic system would re-organize the road system for the whole of Kota Kinabalu to ease congestion in the city.
He said the shopping malls in the city were actually tasked with developing the space between the malls and public roads with the public utility fund allocated by EPU.
Nonetheless, Yeo said the Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) would coordinate and package the developments so that the roads could be developed at the same time.
At the moment, he said KK Times Square had implemented its own package and City Hall would coordinate the remaining road developments that had yet to commence.
As to how much the respective shopping malls were allocated, Yeo said the quantum was up to the Prime Minister’s Department to decide.
“We will implement a one-way system very soon,” he assured during a courtesy call by Kota Kinabalu Funei Li Taiji Association headed by Datuk Seri Winston Liaw yesterday.
He said this in response to Liaw’s suggestion to create an exit to the main road near Public Bank in Api-Api Centre due to the traffic congestion at the commercial area. Liaw had said that he once took more than an hour to exit Api-Api centre via Wawasan Plaza during Christmas time.
Apart from the one-way traffic system, Yeo said the RM2 billion Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system would also serve to ease traffic congestion. He said the BRT system would run from Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) to Wawasan Plaza and Inanam Bus Terminal.
Meanwhile, he said the extended routes to Penampang and Indah Permai would come later as part of the BRT project.
“Details will be announced by the Federal and State Governments,” he said.