CLEAR PATH: Some stalls have made an effort not to block the tactile walkway
An argument between several Deepavali stall operators in Brickfields and a KL City Hall (DBKL) enforcement officer who threatened to revoke their licences and seize their goods led to enforcement action being called off yesterday.
This "war in Little India" happened about noon in Jalan Tun Sambanthan.
The arrival of a police patrol car calmed matters down, with City Hall officers agreeing to halt their enforcement action for the time being, pending a meeting among City Hall, the stall operators and the Indian Petty Traders Association Kuala Lumpur.
Association president Jothy Appalasamy said they would appoint several marshals from among their members to help blind pedestrians move around in the area.
Because of the problems caused by the Deepavali stalls, which are said to be obstructing the movements of the visually-handicapped, the stalls may be moved elsewhere from next year, said an official from the Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Ministry.
City Hall had begun its enforcement action at 10am yesterday near the Public Bank branch in Jalan Tun Sambanthan. It had progressed well with the stall operators removing their furniture and goods from the tactile walkway under the supervision of City Hall officers and association representatives.
However, at about noon, several stall operators refused to budge and when a City Hall enforcement officer threatened to revoke their permits and seize their goods, it resulted in a heated argument that almost got out of hand.
When the situation cooled down, several stall operators poured out their grievances to The Malay Mail.
A trader, who preferred to be known only as Gunaseelan, said he and the other traders were taken aback when they received notices at 10.30pm on Tuesday that City Hall would carry out enforcement action.
"Why should any action be taken when the National Council for the Blind Malaysia (NCBM) had issued a letter of support for the Deepavali stalls?" he asked.
Amar Singh, who runs a restaurant in Jalan Tun Sambanthan and also a stall in front of his outlet, said the enforcement action could have been avoided.
"When City Hall issued the stall licences, they should have made it clear that furniture and goods should not be placed on the tactile part of the walkway," he said.
Another trader, who identified himself as Shanker, said those whose stalls and goods were seized stood to lose RM1,000 or more.
"The government should not make things difficult for us traders," he said.
Structures impeding the blind, says Gerakan
LET there be no more Deepavali stalls extending from the KL Monorail station to the Public Bank branch in Jalan Tun Sambanthan in Brickfields from next year.
Gerakan Federal Territory vice chairman Datuk K. Sabaratnam said the stalls along one side of a tactile pathway along Jalan Tun Sambanthan obstructed the movements of visually-impaired people who live and work in the area.
"Because of the stalls, it is difficult for blind people to get to the Monorail station," he said during a visit there with members of the National Council for the Blind Malaysia (NCBM) last week.
"As such, we have proposed to KL City Hall (DBKL) to not allow stalls to be set up near the Monorail station from next year."
Also present were officials from several DBKL departments such as Enforcement, Health and Environment as well as Business Facilitation and Hawker Management.
City hall officials declined to comment.
On Tuesday, Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin had instructed City Hall officers to immediately move the Deepavali stalls away from the tactile walkways.
Visually-impaired people had complained that the stalls endangered them as they had to walk on the busy road in order to get around the stalls.
Gerakan Federal Territories anti-crime and public safety bureau chief Lim Teck Ang also said the one-way traffic flow system and rapid development at Brickfields are hampering the movements of blind people.
"We have proposed a revision of the one-way traffic flow in Brickfields to DBKL as it has not alleviated traffic congestion," he said.
"Speed-breakers should also be constructed at pedestrian crossings to curb motorists from speeding."
Lim said these were among the grouses expressed by 100 visually-impaired people in a survey conducted by Gerakan from Sept 27 to 29.
Other concerns were the obstruction of movement caused by double-parked cars, rubbish on walkways, uneven roads and pathways and food stalls along pathways at Jalan Padang Belia.
Meanwhile, Society of the Blind in Malaysia's (SBM) communication and accessibility chairman Loh Kong Ken said the tactile pathways were not constructed properly to aid the movement of blind people.
"The tactile pathway next to the KL Monorail station can hardly be felt," said Loh.
Booths may be moved next year
THE Deepavali stalls in Jalan Tun Sambanthan in Brickfields may be moved elsewhere next year.
The City Hall deputy director-general, Datuk Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz, said: "We have allowed the stalls here for the past six years. This is the first time there have been complaints. But if this is such a big problem, we will move the Deepavali stalls elsewhere next year."
Amin said he visited Jalan Tun Sambanthan last Friday and met with the stall operators and some members of the blind community who felt the stalls were an obstruction.
"We found that a majority of the blind have no problems walking along the space between the stalls and the shops," he said.
"In fact, we have received a letter of support for the stalls from the National Council for the Blind Malaysia (NCBM). However, we will take action against stall operators who flout the rules."
Amin commended the Indian Petty Traders Association Kuala Lumpur for appointing marshals to help the blind move about the area.
"City Hall officers will also be present to assist the blind and other pedestrians," he said.
He also said City Hall had moved two canopies set up by stall operators which were found to be obstructing the way of pedestrians.
"The stall operators have been told not to close off the tactile walkway during the day but they are allowed to lock their stalls at night to keep their goods safe."
STALL operators whose goods are seized stand to lose as much as RM1,300, says a spokesman for the Indian Petty Traders Association Kuala Lumpur.
He says the losses include:
Canopy: RM400
Electricity: RM300
Cleansing: RM150
Lot Licence: RM56
Wiring: RM100
Security: RM50
Maintenance: RM50
Society administration: RM150
Miscellaneous: RM50
