KUALA LUMPUR: The newly built food court in Bandar Tun Razak has been drawing flak for its lack of disable-friendly facilities and amenities for hawkers and patrons.
Anjung Selera Bandar Tun Razak was completed earlier this year next to the site of the old building. Although the new building has high ceilings for good ventilation and uses solar panels, it is a let-down for food traders there.
Fruit stall owner Sahar Pandak, who moves around on crutches, said he had to walk all the way from the main entrance to his stall located at the rear-end of the building.
"There are stairs near my stall, but there is no railing and can be dangerous for the disabled or elderly people. It is not an issue for able-bodied people, but it is difficult for me just to get to my stall.
"I have raised the issue with DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) several times and hope it will be rectified soon," said the 60-year-old trader.
Chicken rice seller Muhammad Zafran Zainal Abidin, 41, said the stalls were not built with rear doors for unloading purposes.
"Because of this, we have to bring our ingredients from the main entrance and unload them in front of the stalls.
"This has greatly inconvenience us. Due to the lack of parking, I have to be here as early as 5am. Even then, it is difficult for us to find empty parking lots as some residents from a new apartment nearby also park their cars here," said Zafran, who pays a monthly rental of RM400 and RM100 maintenance fee to DBKL.
Sahar and Zafran are among the 16 long-time operators at the old food court on Jalan Jujur 3, which is popular among residents for its affordable dishes.
During a walkabout at the food court today, Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias promised to get the issues rectified.
"DBKL will build a proper access at the rear of the foodcourt for the disabled and is in the midst of building an open car park next to it.
"I visit food courts such as this to find out the issues that we can address, especially in upgrading the facilities for the benefit of the traders and customers."
On a separate matter, Jalaluddin said DBKL had carried out 10 initiatives to help hawkers and petty traders whose incomes were affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to a RM30 million reduction in revenue.
He said the 50 per cent discount on rental rates for petty traders, which was imposed between January and June, would be extended until December this year.
"It involves 5,766 accounts operating in DBKL's market buildings and centres for petty traders, with a reduction in revenue of about RM3 million.
"The ministry and DBKL hope that this initiative will help to ease their burden and help them to optimise their business operations," he said.