Jams At Air Panas-Semarak Short Cut

The traffic lights at the Air Panas-Semarak short cut is giving problems again. If you notice from this picture, you will see tyhe cars backed up from the junction till Setapak Jaya bridge. Will someone do something about it? The MP perhaps?

Jam At Air Panas-Gurney Road Short Cut

The traffic light at the Jalan AIr Panas-Gurney Road shortcut is causing daily jams when traffic is heavy. Sometimes the kickback from the junction extends till the Air Panas wet market. This is because along the stretch, there are heavily used smaller slip roads and even though the light is greed for traffic on the Air Panas side to move to Setapak Jaya or right turn into Gurney Road, they are blocked by inconsiderate drivers making their turns. If you are using this shortcut during mid-day and evenings, especially on school days, be patient. Unless someone retunes the traffic lights, it will be a long wait. Better to use another alternative.

Air Panas turning into Scrap Metal Traders' Row?

This is one of the many scrap metal stores along the road from Air Panas to Setapak Jaya. There are a few more along the shortcut to Jalan Gurney from Air Panas. Their presence are given away by the sight of scrawny scavengers pushing rusty wheelbarrows containing all sorts of scraps - from tin cans to telephone poles sometimes - to these areas.

One wonders how the neighbours are taking their presence. Doesn't City hall have a say in these? Or is turning one's home into a scrap metal yard is as easy as kacang puteh? Perhaps someone can enlighten our readers?

Litterbugs of Wangsa Maju - When Will they Ever Learn?

This pile of garbage was spotted on the short-cut from Taman Setapak Jaya to Air Panas, the road which takes you to Jalan Gurney as well? This heap, no thanks to whoever decides to take the easy way out, sits opposite the stream running parallel to the road.

When will people learn to keep clean? I wonder!

How to get from Wangsa Maju to KL City Centre in 10 minutes

Well, if you know your way around, there are many. You could use Jalan Jelatek via Setiawangsa. But if you are a newcomer, let me let you in on this short cut. It is well known among locals and takes you to Ampang Park in 10 minutes.

Head towards Taman Sri Rampai and subsequently Setapak Jaya. Follow the road to the end till you see an oxidation pond and continue along this one-way road and you will arrive at a downhill bend which subsequently takes you across a small stream. The road then forks into a T-junction.

Take the left of the fork and follow the road straight will take you into Jalan Semarak, or Jalan Gurney - which is about 7 minutes from Ampang Park and KLCC if there is no jam in town. (The road passes through some squatters' area (once known as Kampung Congo) now being developed for the DUKE Highway.)


Note: IN the mornings, don't use this road. It is very narrow and heavily jammed!

Setapak Jaya

Setapak Jaya is located to the southeast of Desa Setapak, about two kilometres to be exact. This is also one of the earliest settlements between Hot Springs and Wangsa Maju.

Setapak Jaya comprises mostly three storey low-cost houses built in the 80s and the more expensive double storeys built much later. There is a row of City Hall low-cost flats, too.

There are several rows of shops operating various types of businesses, some restaurants and of course hawkerstalls.

There is a morning market under a stretch of trees which operate from morning till noon and on Saturdays, there is a night market operating from 6pm to 10pm, by the lake. This road is usually inaccessible till 11pm.

Many of the houses still retain their old architecture but many have also been renovated and transformed into mini-bungalows amidst the low-cost settings, sometimes quite ridiculously mansion-like but who cares, if you can flaunt it, why not!