Having exhausted all avenues, the residents of Taman Milek Phase 1 Luyang are now preparing to seek legal recourse to address their concerns over the potential life-threatening risks and nuisance posed by the proposed elevated U-turn (flyover) along Jalan Lintas here to the court.

This was after their written appeal to relevant authorities like Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), the Public Works Department (PWD) and the State Infrastructure Development Ministry to look into their concerns over the closeness of the proposed flyover to their houses, had fallen on deaf ears.

+IBw-We have been given the mandate by our members to act on their behalf in regard to this matter and we are currently in discussion with our lawyers to determine the best legal options to safeguard our interest and wellbeing,+IB0- said Nasip Roslan, president of Taman Milek Phase 1 Residents Association, Kota Kinabalu.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, he reiterated that while the residents understand the importance of infrastructure development projects for public interest, they, nonetheless, opined that the authorities concerned must never ignore the interest and wellbeing of those living in the vicinity, especially when such project may pose life-threatening risks and nuisance to them for a long time after it is completed and commissioned.

He maintained that the residents are especially worried that in the event of an impactful or a freak accident, there+IBk-s no guarantee that the cars would not plunge over the flyover right into their homes.

+IBw-Our recent site inspection reveals that the six-metre setback from the houses which our Luyang assemblyman, Phoong Jin Zhe, previously said that the contractor undertaking the proposed elevated U-turn project has agreed to allocate in the new design, is not in sight,+IB0- he highlighted.

He continued that the residents are also concerned that once completed and commissioned, instead of easing traffic congestion, the proposed elevated U-turn might cause massive traffic jams to the place, as and when vehicles coming from the nearby housing estates like Taman Luyang Phase 2, Taman Hilltop, Taman Jindo and those from the Old Penampang Road are heading to the city centre and Kolombong.

+IBw-We understand that under the proposed elevated U-turn project, the relevant authority will discard the traffic lights at Luyang Clinic and Lintas Plaza, and this will cause the vehicles to crawl up the elevated U-turn which is just a couple of feet away from our houses.

+IBw-Just imagine the detrimental health effect that the heavy traffic would pose to us in terms of emissions of the car exhaust fumes+ADs- we would be forced to inhale the toxic fume daily on a weekly basis, year in year out.

+IBw-In the last general election, we voted for change in the hope that the present new government would listen to our plight and take measures to address our legitimate concerns over the life-threatening risks which the proposed flyover project might pose to us. Unfortunately, we failed to see any positive response from the present State government despite having submitted our official complaints to the relevant authorities,+IB0- lamented Nasip.

The Association maintains that the authority should revert to the original location of the proposed elevated U turn which is near to the traffic light junctions.

+IBw-The traffic flow study for the area and the subsequent EIA approval was for the original location. If the authority has maintained the original location the elevated flyover would be nearly completed by now,+IB0- Nasip pointed out.

He added that this press statement serves as the +IBg-final notice+IBk- to the relevant authorities to respond to their complaint within two weeks, before they proceed to file for a legal action against the proposed flyover project.