Navigating TRANSIT

Posted on November 13, 2009 by transitmy

TRANSIT logo

Navigation of TRANSIT’s website is easy!

Just use the tabs at the top of the page or the links below to take you where you want to go:

  • Home – Our Blog page, with postings arranged in reverse chronological order;
  • C.A.T. – Our page on Competency, Accountability and Transparency;
  • Contacts – Contact information for TRANSIT, as well as government, operators, and civil service departments – to help in the feedback process;
  • Design - Our page on Architecture, Design & Standards;
  • F.A.Q. – Frequently Asked Questions on Public Transport;
  • Info/Ideas – Useful information about public transport, advocacy of public transport, academic papers, routes & services in Malaysia, and even culture (art, music & museums);
  • Proposals – TRANSIT’s proposals, memos, presentations and papers, as well as masterplans, proposals and other ideas;
  • Updates – Information about projects as well as collections of articles & letters related to public transport;
  • TRANSIT – Information About TRANSIT, who we are, what we are trying to do, and how you can help us.

SPECIAL NOTE 1: The KTM Railway Fan Club has invited TRANSIT members to a tour of KTMBs new Batu Gajah depot, which will take place on 27th February.

SPECIAL NOTE 2: TRANSIT will post soon regarding our tour of the Express Rail Link depot at Salak Tinggi, which occured on December 9. Click here for more information about the planning for the tour.

SPECIAL NOTE 3: If you attended the International Conference on Urban Regeneration and would like to have more information about the role of public transport in urban regeneration, please see the following link:

SPECIAL NOTE 4: Public Display Information for current rail projects can be found at the links below:

We welcome your feedback. Let us know below what we can do to improve our website, or send us an email at klangvalley.transit@gmail.com!

Filed under: Activities, Announcements, Comments on Government, Comments on Planning, FAQ, Feedback, Information, Universal Design | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Tour of KTMB’s Batu Gajah Workshop

Posted on January 18, 2010 by transitmy

KTM Railway Fans are planning a tour of KTMB’s Batu Gajah Workshop

Image of the new KTMB railway workshops at Batu Gajah

Date : 27th February, 2010 (Saturday)
Time for Departure : 9.00am
Point of Departure : Kuala Lumpur Station (KLO)
Mode of Transportation : Chartered Bus
Fee : to be confirmed later

Visit MY Train Gallery today

If you are interested in attending the tour, please email the name, IC #, phone # for all guests (including yourself) to klangvalley.transit@gmail.com.

Alternatively you can reply in the comments section below.

Filed under: Activities, Information, KTM Komuter, News & Events | Tagged: , , , , , | 9 Comments »

KL Monorail Station improvements

Posted on February 8, 2010 by transitmy

TRANSIT recently took notes of improvements to the klmonorail website in this posting.

Today, we look at some of the changes that have been quietly made to the design of the KL Monorail stations.

Station Signage

New station signage placed at some stations is consistent with the new station code system which is to be implemented by RapidKL & Prasarana.

new signage at Bukit Bintang monorail station

new signage at Bukit Bintang monorail station

Transit watcher Florian has pointed out that the signage does not indicate the direction of travel for the LRT (using a “grey out” method or arrow) which can be confusing for people who are not familiar with the system.

Platform Screen Gates

Similar to the Platform Screen Doors at the underground LRT stations (except shorter) Platform Screen Gates are designed to prevent track intrusions and falls at open/overhead public transport stations.

Image of Platform Screen Gates at Bukit Bintang monorail station - image courtesy of TWK90

Image of Platform Screen Gates at Bukit Bintang monorail station - image courtesy of TWK90

Bukit Bintang Monorail station

Improvements to Bukit Bintang station have opened up the platform area and also made it safer – but what is also needed is a connection to the Lot 10 property on the other side of the street.

an image of the platform of the Bukit Bintang monorail station, taken from the overhead pedestrian bridge.

TRANSIT Says:

There have been concerns about the design of the monorail stations since they were first introduced to the public. It has been argued that the platforms are too small, the canvas roofs too heat absorbant, tje platforms full of ads, etc.

The efforts of Prasarana to unify the design of the KL Monorail over the past year have been noticed. The orange colours of the KL Monorail station interiors were linked to the corporate colours of KLStarrail Sdn. Bhd., the company that Prasarana created in 2008 when it took over the monorail.

Now that the KL Monorail is being integrated into the RapidKL service, it may be that the stations will be painted once again, to follow the blue-red-white (what, no yellow) colour scheme used in RapidKL’s elevated LRT stations.

Already, it seems that the orange livery of the Tun Sambanthan monorail station has been painted blue.

Now, if they could only resolve some of the other major issues that the monorail has – such as the crowding, the long wait between trains, the limited access, and of course, the mess at KL Sentral.

And where are the new trains mentioned in the Government Transformation Programme Urban Public Transport NKRA?

Filed under: Information, Monorail, Pedestrian | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

2 months for decision on Rawang terminal

Posted on February 8, 2010 by transitmy

TRANSIT took note of this article on the new bus station in Rawang, which facing problems in getting bus and taxi operators to move to the station.

Decision on new bus station in two months (The Star)
Saturday January 30, 2010
By STUART MICHAEL

A THOROUGH study must be done on traffic flow at the new Rawang bus station over the next two months before a decision could be made on whether to relocate all bus services there, Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) president Datuk Zainal Abidin Azim said.

According to him, only three bus companies — Mara, Metro and SJ — are picking up passengers in front of the bus station while the mini-buses and taxis are still operating from the old bus station.

Zainal said the new bus station belonged to Mahumas Sdn Bhd and it was too small to cater for all the buses and taxis in the area.

“We hope to make a decision within the next two months,” Zainal said at the MPS Full Board meeting on Thursday.

No buses here: Empty bus parking bays at the Rawang bus station. image courtesy of The Star

TRANSIT Says:

We have also been following the Rawang terminal topic for some time and have some interest in what is happening here.

The parallel to the other terminal issues is pretty obvious – faced with increasing congestion and competition and a bus terminal unable to cope, the local council looks to build a new terminal instead of resolving the existing problems at the current terminal.

This is not really their fault. After all, the constitution says that transport and public transport are Federal responsibilities.

However, it is only the regulation of service that is a Federal responsibility. The local governments do have the authority to set guidelines and rules on how the public transport service is organized.

Whether they have the ability or the money to do so is another topic entirely.

Going back to the Rawang terminal, what we have now is a separation of bus services, which are going to the new terminal, and taxi and minibus services, which are remaining at the old terminal (near the KTM station).

The separation of the two terminals is actually not much of an issue – since the taxi and minibuses serve the local market that usually arrives by KTM Komuter train. The issue is the so-called inconvenience and the idea that having 2 transit terminals is somehow a bad idea.

TRANSIT believes that there is not much that can be done about the Rawang terminal issue except to improve the access between the terminals and make sure that there is proper information as well.

Filed under: Bus, Comments on Government, Comments on Planning, Community Shuttle Bus, Feedback, Information, News & Events, Planning, Taxi | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Klang: Fallout over demolition of Klang taxi stand?

Posted on February 8, 2010 by transitmy

TRANSIT took note of the following articles which discuss the frustration over the demolition of the Klang taxi stand.

The issues with the Klang taxi stand relate to the issues of public transport in general. Poorly-regulated and poorly-managed service combined with the local council’s intent to push for the movement of services to Klang Sentral, and public transport users end up dealing with the frustations.

TRANSIT Says:

What is more unfortunate is that there still is no public transport masterplan for the Klang area that might help rescue Klang Sentral from its moribund state, and help reorganize public transport in the area to reduce the number of cars on the roads.

This issue is going to continue on until someone steps up and tries to fix the Klang Sentral issue. But we do not know who is going to step up.

Filed under: Comments on Government, Complaints - Taxi, Information, Taxi | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

KTM Update: KTMB chairman says more needs to be done to serve commuters better

Posted on February 5, 2010 by transitmy

TRANSIT took note of this article, provided by Malaysian national news agency Bernama and carried by various local media.

In the article, KTMB Chair Mohd. Dzin Mohamed (himself the former Minister of Works) comments on the problems that the urban rail transit networks are facing.

KTMB chairman says more needs to be done to serve commuters better (The Star)
5 February 2010

WHILE the government recently announced several initiatives to boost public transport ridership especially in the Klang Valley, where demand and complaints are at their highest, rail transport insiders are asking that more push be given to rail transport.

This is because the main passenger hauliers will be trains — be they KTM Komuter, RapidKL LRT or Monorail — under the government’s National Key Result Areas (NKRA) for public transport.

A critical look at the grim situation brings out several issues which need to be addressed quickly by economic planners, especially in terms of train capacity and scheduling.

That the KTM Komuter trains are filled to the brim speaks of the fact that there is no shortage of takers for public transport in view of its relatively cheap cost.

For example, the fare from KL Sentral to Seremban is only RM6.

About 100,000 commuters jam KTM Komuter trains daily to travel from Seremban to Kuala Lumpur, to Rawang and even Tanjong Malim and vice-versa and from Sentul to Port Klang and back on weekdays.

They pack themselves like sardines in about 20 sets of Electric Multiple Units (EMU) of three cars each.

From a schedule of 15-minute intervals at one time, which required at least 36 EMU sets to be provided by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd or KTMB, this has since slowed to 20-minute intervals, which theoretically needs 25 EMU sets.

But KTMB does not have the luxury of 25 EMU sets each. Since September 2009, their availability has been down to around 21 EMU sets.

Sometimes, this can sink to a low of 15 to 18 sets per day. Hence, delays of up to 40 minutes or more on certain sectors are not uncommon.

In an interview with Bernama, KTMB chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed said the reason the situation had been allowed to happen was because of a lack of action in terms of maintenance and a shortage of funds to get proper maintenance and spare parts to address the issue of wear and tear.

[TRANSIT: We state, without fear, favour or doubt that the leading cause was the lack of action rather than the shortage of funds]

The former Works Minister did not mince his words when he blamed this on poor maintenance culture at KTMB on one hand and the lack of financial support from government planners on the other.

[TRANSIT: And we do not mince words when we say that the problem was a lack of direction and clear understanding of how to invest in a rail network. Not to mention, a former Minister of Transport who spent most of his time dealing with ports.]

Mohd Zin said from 1995 to 1998, KTMB had 62 EMU sets.

But five sets had to be scrapped later due to accidents, leaving KTMB with only 57 sets.

Of that, 32 EMUs have been knocked out by wear and tear and subsequently through poor maintenance.

“This leaves only 25 EMUs to faithfully serve loyal commuters until they break down,” Mohd Zin, who is also the Sepang MP, said.

The sorry state of affairs would make it imperative for KTMB to re-look at its priorities immediately to salvage the damaged trains and put them into service for a “quick win” with the commuting public, he added.

Besides the purchase of new train sets announced earlier, Mohd Zin said additional funds were also needed for the repair of non-operational or run-down trains to enable KTMB to alleviate the frustrations of commuters and for the government to be seen as sensitive to their prolonged plight.

[TRANSIT: Buying new trains after 5 years is not a way to show that the government is sensitive to our 'prolonged plight'. Apologizing and making sure that it never happens again is the way to show that the government is sensitive!]

This view is also shared by Transit, or the Association for the Improvement of Mass Transit, which said that KTM Komuter was now carrying three times more passengers than it did in 1995 and at least 60 train sets were needed on the KTM Komuter line for a decent 10-minute service frequency.

Over the medium and long term, Mohd Zin, a civil engineer by profession, said it would also be necessary for KTMB to evaluate the size of its railway gauge.

KTMB’s trains currently run on the metre gauge (measuring one metre or 3 ft 33/8 inches wide), which is used by about 7% of railways in the world.

Mohd Zin explained that this meant that new railway equipment would be difficult to procure since most manufacturers of railway equipment were focusing on the standard gauge of 1.435m or 4ft 8.5in.

[TRANSIT: That is not really the issue. The problem is that the order coming from Malaysia are too small to bring economics of scale (and lower costs) for the 'meter gauge' railways. If only all the ASEAN railways could pool their purchases - that would increase the scale of 'meter gauge' and cut costs for all the nations.]

About 60% of the world’s railways use the standard gauge and they are mostly in Europe, Argentina, the United States, Canada, China, South Korea, Australia, the Middle East, North Africa, Mexico, Cuba, Panama, Venezuela, Peru, Uruguay and the Philippines.

The high-speed lines in Japan and Spain also use the standard gauge. Incidentally, the RapidKL and KLIA Ekspress also use the standard gauge.

Mohd Zin, who is a member of the American Society of Engineers, said new railways were usually built to the standard gauge as its advantages were that it facilitated inter-running with neighbouring railways and locomotives and rolling stock could be ordered from manufacturers’ standard designs and do not need to be custom built.

[TRANSIT: Our 'neighbouring railways' do not use standard gauge. Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar mostly use 'meter' gauge (1000mm) railways, while Indonesia uses 'narrow' gauge (1067mm). The Asian Railway from Singapore to China will be standard gauge with dual gauge sections.]

Asked about the long-term prospects of KTMB, he said the company would have to seriously look at unlocking the value of its landed assets.

Mohd Zin said unlocking the value of its property scattered all over Peninsular Malaysia and in Singapore would enable KTMB to raise funds to modernise its rolling stock, passenger coaches, railway equipment and train stations, and even re-look at plans for improving railway tracks to be in line with international standards.

[TRANSIT: Dare we ask, who shall we sell these valuable land assets to? And how will the government ensure that KTMB and the Railway Assets Management Corporation and MRCB get full value for these assets?]

This would help transform KTMB into a vibrant and viable transport corporation, he said. — Bernama

TRANSIT Says:

We are happy to see that the Chair of KTMB is aware of the many significant problems that KTMB has had to deal with. However, his explanation of the issues rings very hollow.

The issue of management, maintenance culture and lack of funding is really common knowledge, so talking about these issues is not saying much. But it is nice to hear the problems acknowledged.

The KTMB chair stops short of announcing or discussing the ‘catch-up’ train investments in great detail – suggesting that they may not be finalized yet or that funding has still not been confirmed.

As for the meter gauge issue, this is a minor one and not worthy of mentioning. We have meter gauge and we should live with it. If he really wants to resolve the issue, instead of talking about gauge conversion, tell us about plans to work with the rail operators in other countries and have joint purchases of meter gauge trains.

As for the comment about unlocking land assets, we at TRANSIT can see people start to salivate at the prospects. But KTM should not be selling its assets to pay for operations. The government should be giving it enough funding.

The suggestion of having KTMB sell assets to pay for operations is like asking a starving man to sell his house so he can buy better furniture!

Filed under: Comments on Government, Comments on Planning, Complaints - KTM, Feedback, Information, Intercity, KTM Komuter | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

KTM Update: KTMB replies to Jeremy Vinesh’s complaint

Posted on February 5, 2010 by transitmy

The letter by Jeremy Vinesh describing a service disruption on KTM Komuter services grabbed the attention of many people.  TRANSIT immediately asked Jeremy to provide more information, which he did, and we followed up with KTM over the month of December.

TRANSIT received this letter from KTM about the results of their investigation on January 5 but were not able to find the time to post it until today.

We thank KTMB Corporate communications for forwarding their report on the investigation of Jeremy’s concerns to TRANSIT, and we hope that they maintain their committment to improve their services and communicate with the public.

Oh, and perhaps KTM Communications can get themselves a twitter feed for marketing and updates as well.

1.       On 26 November 2009, the KTM Komuter’s train services to all sectors were badly disrupted when a commuter train failed at KM 386.110 between Bank Negara and Kuala Lumpur station at 6.50 pm due to a pantograph broke and dropped (loose). Bi directional train operation was commenced at 7.04pm in between the affected areas. The incident had caused delayed up to 105 minutes which affected [a] few train services at some sectors.
2.       We would like to verify that the big jolt, loud sound with flying sparks and the ‘burnt’ smell was caused by the broken pantograph and was not caused by any train from the opposite direction.
3.       The cause of the train leaning to one side was due to the area where the track is located at up gradient and along the curve track.
4.       The phone line was cut off due to system disruption.  For your information, the phone number is link to the Auxiliary Police Department which operates 24 hours.
5.       Please be assured that our front liners have been trained to assist passengers at all time.  We are aware that there is always room for improvement and we will always strive to provide a better service for all our passengers from time to time. However, the consumers too can play their part by having the exact fare thus reducing the transaction period. As an option, we would like to suggest that you consider using our Weekly or Monthly Ticket or the Touch n Go card, as it gives you the freedom to ride the KTM Komuter without the hassle of purchasing ticket every day.
6.       With regards to ticket counter operation hours, we are in the progress to revise the working shift and adding more personnel in order to have the counter open until our last service. For a start, priority will be given to the major stations’ with high ridership.  The new operating hours is expected to be extended in stages beginning next year.

TRANSIT Says:

The complaint by Jeremy, the investigation process and the public report from KTM – really reflects what TRANSIT is here to do. We are here to support YOU, the public transport user, in the never-ending effort to improve public transport.

It does not matter whether the issues are related to regulation, planning, organization, funding, operations, information, communications or public relations – if it related to public transport and it involves you, we want to be there and do our best to help.

TRANSIT is a lot of things – and we can do a lot to help improve public transport – with the cooperation and support of the operators, the government and the public.

We hope that the report on the incident described by Jeremy Vinesh is a satisfactory one, and we urge all public transport users to give feedback to the operators, the government, the wakil rakyat and to TRANSIT as well.

Idris Jala, the head of the Performance Management & Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) which is responsible for the Government Transformation Programme and National Key Result Areas, has said that feedback is a gift.

We could not agree more!

Filed under: Complaints & Feedback, Complaints - KTM, Information, KTM Komuter | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

PAC to visit abandoned bus sites (Update#2)

Posted on February 3, 2010 by transitmy
  • Update #2 – The visit to the depot will take place on Tuesday, 9 February at 10 am and is open to the media
  • Update #1 – according to a post on the TRANSIT discussion forum, many of the buses have been moved or sold already.

TRANSIT took note of these two articles, announcing that the Public Accounts Committee of the Malaysian Parliament is going to inspect the two bus depots (Sg. Buaya and Serendah) where thousands of old Intrakota and CityLiner buses were left stored (left to rot, frankly) by Prasarana.

Abandoned IntraKota & CityLiner buses.

According to the articles, PAC Chair Azmi Khalid says that the PAC wants to inspect the buses, which were mentioned in the Auditor General’s 2008 Report, released last year.

The 2008 Auditor-General’s Report said that about 40% of 1,139 buses stored at Sungai Buaya and Serendah depots could still be utilised.

It also said that Syarikat Prasa­rana Negara Bhd (SPNB), which took over CityLiner and Intrakota bus firms in a public transport restructuring exercise in 2004, should have conducted repairs on the buses and re-used various parts.

SPNB had said that the buses, which were between 10 and 15 years old at the time of acquisition, were being disposed of and replaced in stages

TRANSIT Says:

The issue of the abandoned buses has been discussed at length in the media but this is the first time that the government has showed that they are interested in investigating. Even complaints by former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamed did not get the attention of the government – but the Auditor General’s 2008 report seems to have struck a chord among some parliamentarians.

As TRANSIT noted some years ago, Prasarana claims that the buses could not be salvaged and they had to be replaced with the buses sourced from China in 2005 & 2006.

However, the idea that Prasarana would let the buses go to rot so that someone could profiteer could not escape the mind of many Malaysians. It did not help that Dr. Mahathir and others made a connection between Malaysian bus builder Scomi Bus Sdn. Bhd. (a major manufacturer of buses in Malaysia) and then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The question of whether the disposal of the buses was mismanaged or engineered for someone’s profit is probably never going to be (publicly) investigated by the MACC.

But the fact of the matter is, this is not Prasarana’s finest hour and TRANSIT certainly hopes that the current Board of Directors and Management is a lot wiser then before.

TRANSIT will follow up on this post if there is any further information.

Filed under: Bus, Comments on Government, Complaints - RapidKL, Feedback, Information, News & Events | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

KTM Update: Latest Komuter timetable

Posted on February 3, 2010 by transitmy

KTM Komuter passengers, please take note of the updated KTM Komuter service timetables as of 10 January 2010. Click on the links for more information.

Filed under: Information, KTM Komuter | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

CVLB’s hotline to operate 24-hours in three months

Posted on February 3, 2010 by transitmy

TRANSIT took note of the following article regarding the CVLB’s Hotline:

CVLB’s 24-hour hotline to operate in three months (The Star)

NUSAJAYA: The Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board’s (CVLB) 1-800-88-96000 hotline will ope­rate round-the-clock in three months.

Board chairman Datuk Halimah Sadique said this would enable the public to lodge complaints against errant bus and taxi drivers at any time, instead of just during office hours.

“We are seriously looking into the complaints in a move to improve the public transportation services. Guilty drivers will not be tolerated,” she said.

Halimah was speaking to reporters at the launch of the Bus Iskandar Malaysia service yesterday, by state executive councillor for housing and local government Datuk Ahmad Zahri Jamil, at the Kota Iskandar Terminal.

Halimah said the CVLB would summon complainants to its respective offices to get more details on the matter.

This was necessary as the board wanted to be fair and transparent in dealing with all complaints, she added.

She said participation from the public was important to help the CVLB improve on its delivery system.

On another issue, Halimah said the board had decided to stop issuing new taxi permits for the city as the current number of 5,200 taxis was sufficient.

However, it would be looking at issuing new permits for servicing routes outside Johor Baru that were not well covered by taxi services.

TRANSIT Says:

We are happy to see that the CVLB Hotline will be running 24 hours a day in 3 months – assuming that everything works well, we can hope that there will be an increased number of complaints and feedback – with a corresponding increase in enforcement activities.

One thing that you can do to make life easier for yourself is to add the CVLB Hotline Number 1-800-88-96000 and MY SMS number 15888 to your handphone contacts.

This will allow you to file a complaint at a moment’s notice.

What is the CVLB’s track record on these complaints? To be honest, we do not know. But we will do our best to get more information out of them.

Another way to complain is to send your complaints to TRANSIT at klangvalley.transit@gmail.com. We will follow up on your complaint with the CVLB.

Filed under: Comments on Government, Complaints & Feedback, Information, News & Events | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Photos of KTM Sentul-Batu Caves extension

Posted on January 31, 2010 by transitmy

Readers may recall our recent posting on Thaipusam shuttle train services operated by KTM.

The KTM line from Sentul to Batu Caves has been double tracked and electrified but unfortunately, the interior work at all the stations has not been completed.  The full work will only be completed in March and the Sentul-Batu Caves extension will only open in April 2010.

But that does not stop KTM Komuter from operating trains on the line – which is what they have done for the 2010 Thaipusam weekend.

At KTM’s own facebook page they have posted photos of the Thaipusam 2010  shuttle train services.

Because the construction work at the Sentul station is not complete, passengers had to climb stairs to board the trains. This is a bit disappointing because it means that the OKU community was not able to enjoy the service to Thaipusam – a sad and disappointing situation that could have been dealt with a bit better.

The shuttle trains passed through  Batu Kantonment, Kg. Batu and Taman Wahyu without stopping.

Batu Caves station is complete and had been opened to the public.

TRANSIT would like to congratulate KTMB employees for making the best of the situation once again (the incomplete construction) and providing improved shuttle services for public transport users.

We hope that KTMB will continue to remember the OKU community and ensure that they have the same opprtunities to enjoy the rich tapestry of cultures that makes Malaysia so great.

If you went to Thaipusam at Batu Caves and took photos of the KTM Shuttle trains, or if you went to Thaipusam in Penang and took photos of the RapidPenang shuttle buses, please email these photos to us at klangvalley.transit@gmail.com or post the links / photos below.

Thank you in advance and once again, Happy Thaipusam 2010!

Filed under: Comments on Government, Comments on Planning, Feedback, Information, KTM Komuter, News & Events, Universal Design | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

RM200m needed for Kuching CAT

Posted on January 31, 2010 by transitmy

TRANSIT took note of this article in the Borneo post, in which Abang Johari, Minister of Local Government and Urban Development, commented on plans to improve public transport in Kuching with new buses and improved technology.

RM200m needed for modern city transport: Abg Jo (Borneo Post)

January 28, 2010, Thursday

MODERN BUS SERVICES: Johari displaying the proposed ‘Bus Priority System’ which integrates computerised traffic lights, electronic information boards, dedicated bus lanes and pollution free buses with GPS and electronic ticketing. — Photo by Jeffery Mostapa Borneo Post

KUCHING: The state government will request between RM150 and RM200 million to improve and modernise the bus services in the city.

Minister of Housing and Urban Development Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said if he could raise the fund, the city’s public transport would certainly be transformed.

“Public transportation is one of our National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) and it is envisaged that within five years time Kuching will not only enjoy modern bus services but also an integrated public transport system when the land transport is linked with the water taxis” he said during press conference after being briefed by Sarawak Transport and Co Association (STC), Traffic Committee and Commercial Vehicle and Licensing Board (LPKP)

“Our aim is to start with 50 new public buses through partnership with private operators. The cost of these modern buses will be between RM750,000 and RM1 million. Therefore, it may not be financially feasible for private operators to revamp the bus operations on their own due to the lack of funds and high costs of operation,” he said.

He added that the fund would be used to improve the public transportation infrastructure, integrating modern technologies such as electronic tickets and Global Positioning System (GPS).

The implementation would not only benefit locals and stakeholders, but most importantly it will also boost tourism into the city, he said.

According to Johari there are currently 101 registered buses in Kuching and 13 per cent of the city’s population depends on public transportation and 85 per cent passengers depending on buses.

“Because of the poor bus transport services, people are increasingly turning to private mode of transport. If this trend continues, the public transport’s mode share will be reduced to 10 per cent in the year 2020,” he said.

Johari explained that the trend would affect the viability of buses as public transportation which in turn will cause traffic congestion, high carbon emission and pollution.

He said that with the city’s population current annual average growth rate put at 3.3 per cent, the city’s projected population would reach about 700,000 by the year 2020.

“Right now the average speed during morning and evening peak hours is about 20km per hour. We are concerned that unrestrained traffic volume growth will result in intolerable congestion levels that will reduce the average speed to 10km per hour by the year 2020,” he added.

According to Johari, motor vehicle registration has been growing at the rate of approximately 6.2 per cent per annum and the figures have now reached 200,000 cars and 195,000 motorcycles, with average car ownership at 0.8 car per household.
The implementation of the new buses would help limit carbon emissions and pollution enough to meet Malaysia’s commitment to reduce carbon emission by 40 per cent in the year 2025.

Johari said that the buses would also cater to the elderly and handicapped and there would be bus lanes and bus stops equipped with electronic information boards to ensure timely arrivals and departures.

He added that a new route system connecting the city centre to the suburbs would be implemented.

“Kuching Central will be the main hub connecting to a series of sub-hubs in the suburbs, to encourage the park-and-ride system that will help reduce entry of private vehicles into the city centre,” he said.

TRANSIT Says:

Kuching is the 4th largest city in Malaysia and would definitely benefit from an investment in public transport.

And the proposal that Abang Johari is probably referring to is the recent City Area Transit (CAT) proposal for bus-rapid transit in Kuching which was introduced in October 2009.

The CAT Bus-Rapid Transit proposal adds Kuching to the number of cities in Malaysia that have suddenly become realistic and started to embrace Bus-Rapid Transit.

Now, we at TRANSIT are not wedded to a particular form of public transport technology — yes, we have said this before but it bears repeating — but we can see the possibilities and advantages of Bus Rapid Transit in terms of its lower capital costs and faster implementation time.

So we are happy to see that Kuching has joined the list. Next up may be Ipoh, Melaka and Kota Kinabalu. Will they start to fall into place soon?

But overall what matters most is real change in the way public transport operates. Yes, we are changing the laws, moving to a service-based model, investing more money, looking at realistic solutions…but if the public are not included in the planning and the oversight of these public transport services, then nothing will really have changed for the public transport user.

We will still be taking the public transport system that is given to us…without the chance to make it any better.

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