I am regular traveler and I am very familiar with Medan Gopeng bus terminal situated in Gunong Rapat, Ipoh.
 
I wish to highlight the risk  passengers are subjected to every time buses try to access the Medan Gopeng station via the back lane. Many a time I have witnessed bus drivers facing difficulty negotiating the sharp bend leading into this back lane to the bus station.

This  narrow back lane runs dangerously parallel to a large monsoon drain which is notorious for its fast-flowing waters especially on a rainy day.
 
In the event of a brake failure or due to the inability of the driver to control the bus during an emergency, the chances of the bus plunging into the monsoon drain are inevitable. On a rainy day, when this very large storm drain is full, it can practically wash away a bus (including passengers) if it happens to plunge into it. The water current is very strong and fast-flowing.
 
There are no solid barriers to prevent the bus from plunging into the drain except for a flimsy looking iron railing which may not even hold back a skidding motorcyclist. There are also telltale signs of the embankment giving away at certain stretches of this drain close to the back lane. This probably due to the frequent use (pounding) of this back lane by heavy vehicles.
 
Although so far there has been no report of any incident of buses skidding into the drain, the risk still remains. Before any untoward incident were to take place, I urge the authorities to take immediate safety measures. This narrow back lane should not be used by busses because it was not meant for buses in the first place.
 
One of the measures the authorities can consider is to allow the busses to access to the bus station via the front road which runs parallel to the main road. This front road is much wider and safer.
 
However, the authorities have to first relocate the petty traders and the taxi drivers. This front road has now been turned into a bazaar at one end and a taxi parking bay at the other end. The petty traders at the bazaar and the indiscriminate parking of taxis are further compounding the chaotic and unsafe conditions at the Medan Gopeng bus station.
 
There has been one too many complaints from the public with regards to this bus station. Frankly, the local authorities should seriously consider the many calls to relocate this bus station elsewhere.

The present site is not only unsuitable but unsafe. This Medan Gopeng bus station building and its surroundings were not designed for to be used as a bus terminal. They possess some inherent risk and danger which cannot be overcome by any safety measures.
 
Looking at the chaotic situation that is getting worse by the day, a nasty accident is just awaiting to happen at Medan Gopeng. I appeal to the authorities to take immediate measures to avert it.
 
I remember reading in the media when the issue of safety was raised with regards to this bus station. The authorities assured  the public that the Medan Gopeng terminal was only a temporary bus station.

It was reported that a vast piece of land had been allocated by the state government to erect a new bus terminal with all modern facilities closer to the North-South highway to replace Medan Gopeng. It has been years now and we have yet to see any sign of such a building. What happened to this proposal?
 
I urge the local authorities to give public safety due priority and work towards relocating the present unsafe Medan Gopeng bus station to a safer location. The authorities should not compromise on matters of general public safety just to please certain business communities.

It will ultimately backfire on the authorities if an untoward incident were to happen at Medan Gopeng.