POLICE had to step in and disperse a large crowd that gathered at the main entrance to the Bandar Mahkota Cheras township to stage yet another protest against the closure of the township’s toll-free access road. 

It took a while for the police to convince the residents to disperse peacefully but they gathered again – at the developer’s office next. 

The office was closed that day even though it was supposed to be open from 10am to 5pm on Sundays. 

The residents, who turned up in full force, demanded to know why Grand Saga Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire for the Cheras-Kajang Highway, had put up concrete barriers at the toll-free access road. 

A police officer telling the angry residents of Bandar Mahkota Cheras to disperse as their gathering was illegal.

The closure of the access road forced residents to travel an extra 6.5km using the access road to Bandar Sungai Long to the Cheras 11th Mile toll plaza. 

Bandar Mahkota Cheras resident’s association chairman Tan Boon Wah said the access road meant for the township was closed to avoid loss of toll revenue. 

“When we first bought the houses here, we were promised the toll-free access road. Now the developers have completely ignored our requests to solve the matter with the highway concessionaire,’’ said Tan. 

Tan said it was unfair on the part of the concessionaire to close the access road built by the developer soon after it was opened. 

He said the concessionaire had claimed that by opening the access to the toll-free road, residents of Bandar Sungai Long would also use the road to avoid paying toll at the Cheras 11th Mile toll plaza. 

“This is not our problem. We are only asking what has been promised to us when we purchased properties here,’’ he added. 

Tan said the Bandar Mahkota Cheras Free Access Road Action Committee had arranged several meetings with the authorities and had sent out many letters but had not received any response. 

“How else do you expect the residents to respond other then to stage a protest?” he said to applause. 

Tan said until this problem was resolved, residents would have to put up with traffic snarls. 

The crowd dispersed an hour letter and promised to come back next Sunday to stage a bigger protest.