[Ambassador]

Thursday December 9, 2010

U-turn only allowed for authorities

PETALING JAYA: The “U-turn” along the Federal Highway, where three friends were killed in an accident on Tuesday, is meant only for the use of police patrol cars, ambulances and fire engines during emergencies.

Public Works Department public relations officer Saipul Anwar Mohd Raji said that although no specific sign had been put up for this, there was a no-entry sign there.

He said that in view of the number of accident cases as a result of motorists misusing the U-turn, the department was looking into options to solve the problem.

Saipul said the department was considering placing guard railing that could be removed by authorities during emergencies to avoid road users from making illegal U-turns there.

“But we do not want to make it inconvenient for the police, ambulances and fire engines,” he told The Star here yesterday. Saipul promised to “solve the problem as soon as possible”.

Selangor traffic chief Supt Che Hussein Omar said police patrol cars would not use the U-turn there although it was meant for them because it was very dangerous.

“It is very dangerous to make a U-turn there, regardless of the hour in view of the high number of cars on the highway,” he said.

Supt Che Hussein said since early this year, nine road tragedies were reported along Selangor’s stretch of the Federal Highway, some of them fatal.

“Road users must be more careful and should not speed at any time of the day, even during late nights when there are not many cars. “Anything can happen at any time,” he said.

In the 3.30am accident on Tuesday, Fong Mun Fai, 18, Liew Yun Fen and Choong Jin Rong, both 17, were killed when the Perodua Kancil they were travelling in was involved in a collision with a car when Choong tried to make an illegal U-turn at the spot.