Residents and businesses in Teluk Bahang are reeling from the effects of having their main access route cut off from the rest of the island when part of Jalan Ujung Batu in Batu Ferringhi was closed to vehicles after a landslide.

The only route now to the northwestern corner involves a long detour through Balik Pulau and is proving to be unfeasible for most people.

Suppliers do not want their delivery trucks making the trip while tourists have cancelled excursions to the area’s attractions, such as the Escape Adventureplay theme park and Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm.

The community now fears that they will be completely cut off if the Balik Pulau road is also hit by a landslide since more rainy days have been predicted.

Entopia CEO Joseph Goh said refrigerated-truck drivers refused to take the detour because they were not confident of negotiating the narrow road.

Jalan Ujung Batu, which runs from Bayview Beach Resort in Batu Ferringhi to the former Mutiara Beach Resort in Teluk Bahang, was closed to traffic after part of a hill slope slid down on Monday and blocked a section of the road.

Some 200m away from the landslide, a 10m stretch of road collapsed into the sea.

Only motorcyclists were allowed to use the road now, from 6am to 9am, 5pm to 8pm and 11pm to 1am.

Rapid Penang buses plying the Teluk Bahang route are dropping all passengers off at the Batu Ferringhi roadblock until further notice.

Goh said the park explored the idea of ferrying visitors by boat from Straits Quay in Tanjung Tokong, but was told that it would take at least two months to get the permits and insurance sorted out.

Escape Adventureplay theme park CEO Sim Choo Kheng said the timing could not be worse because the peak season had just begun.

“It is the pre-school-holiday season and nearly every group has cancelled its booking. We are losing the biggest chunk of our business for the year,” he said.

Penang Public Works Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said it must wait at least a week for geologists to study the hill slope and road before repairs can be made.

“Even if they declare it safe, the stretch will remain off limits to heavy vehicles until fully repaired,” he told newsmen at Komtar.

Lim, who could not give an indication when the situation would return to normal, said large lorries plying the road from construction sites in Teluk Bahang could have contributed to the collapse.

“Such roads are usually meant for loads of up to 11 tonnes. Cement lorries can go up to 20 tonnes,” he said, adding that it was an offence to drive vehicles having more than the maximum allowed weight.

Entopia head of finance Vincent Lee said it took him two and a half hours to drive from Tanjung Bungah through Balik Pulau during rush hour on Monday.

Yesterday, he carpooled with two colleagues, parked at Bayview Beach Resort and continued on foot until they hitched a ride with motorcyclists.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by ARNOLD LOHandCHRISTOPHER TAN

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