Motorcyclists flag slippery Putrajaya road after repeated crashes

PUTRAJAYA: Motorcyclists are sounding the alarm about a troublesome stretch of road connecting the Maju Expressway to Putrajaya, citing repeated crashes, especially in rainy conditions. This issue has garnered significant attention on social media, with a video showing a motorcyclist skidding on wet pavement amassing over 256,000 views on Threads.

The video, uploaded on November 6 by user harithhamdan, depicts a rider losing control while attempting to merge lanes on a wet segment of the Putrajaya ring road after exiting the Maju Expressway. The caption reads, "Be careful riding in the rain."

Motorcyclist shaf_ajer shared his own harrowing experience, stating that he and his wife fell there in early December of the previous year. The accident resulted in shaf_ajer breaking his shoulder and his wife suffering a concussion that led to memory loss. User nurnaqiahmahadzir corroborated the incident, recounting that she and her husband crashed on October 17 while it was raining, just three weeks before the video was posted.

She noted that a black line on the road contributes to its slippery surface, making it difficult for drivers and riders to notice impending danger.

Harithhamdan echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the uneven surface at the merging point with the main road as a contributing factor. Another user, hanzwindscreen, recounted multiple instances of motorcycles falling at the location, including a near-miss where he himself almost lost control due to a pothole. After resurfacing the area, hanzwindscreen expressed concern that the new surface featured a slippery black line, akin to painted black surface, which exacerbates the problem when wet.

User aminharis_ also pointed out the presence of this black line on the road surface, stressing that it becomes perilously slick during rain, regardless of the rider's speed.

In response to the growing concerns, Putrajaya Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin acknowledged the issue on social media, vowing to investigate and coordinate with relevant authorities. In a parallel incident from September, a viral video captured several motorcyclists falling on a rain-soaked green-painted section of the Federal Highway motorcycle lane near Subang.

Subsequently, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi announced plans to resurface the lane and install a 40kph speed limit sign. The New Straits Times has sought comment from the Public Works Department and Maju Expressway Sdn Bhd on the current situation.