Puchong residents saddled with infrastructure challenges

Puchong has undergone significant development, but its infrastructure has not kept pace with the city's growth. The Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP), one of the busiest traffic arteries in the Klang Valley, is often more like a car park than an expressway. Journeys that should take a mere five or ten minutes can now stretch to 40 minutes or an hour. Puchong plays a crucial role as a traffic conduit, with motorists attempting to avoid congestion on the LDP often encountering similar delays on the Bukit Jalil Highway.

Residents express frustration not only with traffic congestion but also with frequent tolls, which seem unavoidable regardless of the route taken. While toll-free alternatives exist, the congestion and circuitous routes make them less appealing. Small issues like a dangerous bend on Persiaran Puchong Jaya Selatan, where accidents have occurred and the road divider has been replaced multiple times, and streetlights that frequently fail to work, also impact daily life.

The city's location exacerbates the problem, as it serves as a major conduit for traffic moving north, south, and east. The Sunway toll plaza fails to alleviate congestion, with motorists frequently encountering delays on the Kesas Highway as well. Over the past decade, Puchong has felt more like an administrative attachment than an integral part of the city.

The situation is not unique to Puchong. Similar congestion points, such as Sunway Pyramid and the Kewajipan roundabout, raise questions about whether development has been balanced with infrastructure growth. Accountability becomes blurred when different agencies are responsible for various aspects of road infrastructure. While development has brought prosperity to Puchong, it must also ensure that roads, public transport, traffic management, street lighting, cleanliness, and public safety are kept up with the city's growth.