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CITY Hall is keeping an eye on the goings-on around the Foh Sang shops to ensure that the OKU [Orang Kurang Upaya, (Disabled)] parking and loading bays in this part of Luyang are not being misused by drivers for whom they were not intended.

A Beaufort vehicle-owner, on the other hand, hopes that the Health Department will be equally proactive when it comes to maintaining the public parking area at the Hospital for the district.

The motorist, who frequently went to the medical institution, bemoaned the inconvenience which drivers faced due to the depressions which had formed on the surface of the unsealed car park, as well as the water which pooled in these areas during a downpour.

His Luyang counterpart spoke out about the inconsiderate behaviour of some able-bodied drivers who left their vehicles in spaces in front of the Foh Sang shops, which were designated for OKU drivers  

These individuals provided Hotline with the pertinent details, regarding their grievances, which were forwarded to the relevant agencies.

A spokesman for City Hall’s Enforcement Department said its personnel had periodically been inspecting the section of Lorong Kukang which ran between the shophouses in the Foh Sang area.

He said there were two OKU parking bays along this stretch.

“Two separate checks were made of the road over the past two months,” he said.

“A white double-cab was found to be occupying an OKU parking space in the first instance. Our team did not find any evidence on the vehicle to indicate that the driver was disabled.”

He said automobiles belonging to disabled drivers had to have an OKU sticker affixed to their rear window, with the owners’ OKU card displayed on the dashboard.

“Neither the sticker nor the card could be seen in the double-cab, so a compound was issued to the motorist that Wednesday morning.”

He said another driver was penalised for the same parking misdemeanour a month later.

“Surveillance was also mounted of those parking lots intended as loading bays for the shops during this inspection.”

The spokesman said those who misused OKU and loading bays were liable to a compound for as much as RM500 for contravening City Hall’s (Provision of Parking

Places) By-laws 2014 and as such could be compounded up to RM500.

He said repeat offenders and those who failed to settle their compounds could be taken to court.

If they are found guilty they risk being slapped with a RM20,000 fine, serving a 12 month jail term or both, according to the spokesman.

Meanwhile, the Health Department is looking into claims about the poor condition of the public parking area for the Beaufort Hospital.

A spokesman for the agency said its personnel would have to verify the feedback from the driver who contacted the media.

“If it proves to be true, we will assess the extent of the damage to the property and arrange to have the necessary repairs made,” he said.

He declined to elaborate on how often the parking area was maintained.

FARIZ of Beaufort bemoaned the uneven surface of the parking area for the Hospital.

“There are huge depressions on the land making it like an obstacle course for drivers,” he said.

“Water ponds in many places, during a downpour, and the red earth becomes muddy.”

He also decried the difficulty which many members of the public experienced in walking from the parking area to the Hospital especially when it was wet.

“Expectant mums and senior citizens risk slipping and falling because of the mud and puddles in their way.”

On the flip side, he said, clouds of dust were stirred up when the weather got hot.

Fariz said motorists wound up dirtying their vehicles, not to mention their clothes and shoes, because of the deplorable condition of this parking area.

He wondered why the Department had not bothered to have the surface of the land sealed with asphalt.

“Failing this, they should at least have gravel poured over the area and graded from time to time.” 

Fariz hoped the agency might consider having a multi-storey carpark built on the property to cater for the needs of the many patients, like himself, who drove to the Hospital for their regular check-up.