TRANSIT – Malaysia's Public Transport Forum

Zul from TRANSIT has sent the following letter to Utusan in response to the article “Permit lama punca bas tak singgah Klang Sentral“.

We will share an english translation of the article in the space below. We also hope to add a translation of the letter in a day or two.

Permits not renewed, Klang Sentral deserted

The CVLB’s delay in issuing new permits is the main reason local Klang buses do not operate in Klang Sentral terminal.

The Engineering Director of MPK, Md Noor said this is due to Klang Utara being the valid terminal for these operators. “Local operators use this excuse to disregard the directive to shift to Klang Sentral, and some (incorrigible) operators have no fret of being dragged to courts due to the current permits which clearly prove that their (valid) operation terminal is really in Klang Utara”.

He was commenting on the complaints of insufficient commuters and income losses from express bus companies, who claimed the refusal of local and stage buses to operate in the new terminal created hardship for commuters who have to rely on cabs which charge them as high as RM30 per ride to get to Klang Sentral. Hence, express bus users prefer the Puduraya Station.

Initially, few local buses such as RapidKL and Cityliner abide to the directive to serve Klang Sentral. But the (in)actions of a few other bus operators caused other buses to shift back to the old terminal to avoid losing potential customers.

TRANSIT Says:
Klang Sentral, which sits at the edge of the Greater Klang Vicinity, should be renamed as Klang North Edge, or better still, converted to Gateway Terminal to northern highway corridors, not a hub for stage buses serving Klang. The surrounding area near Klang Sentral is not a naturally attractive place for commuters to be, as a local transport hub.

Md Noor said MPK has also received complaints from business owners in Klang Sentral, and that MPK and CVLB have been brainstorming for solutions from June through September. “MPK has identified 36 new routes and they have been submitted to CVLB for their actions.”

On the old terminal, he said the area will not be fully cordoned, but will be designated only as a pick-up and drop-off point for bus passengers. “Hence, traders and the public around Klang Utara should not worry. The operational shift to Klang Sentral is due to the old bus terminal not being capable to handle increased capacity. Klang Sentral is much bigger, equipped with various facilities, more comfortable and it’s only 5km away from the old terminal. Moreover, research has shown severe traffic congestion in downtown Klang can be avoided if the buses shift operations to Klang Sentral.”

TRANSIT Says:

The whole city of Klang is congested not due to buses, but because of the existing and straining travelling infrastructure which cannot adapt to the increase in private vehicle use.  Forcing local buses to shift operations to Klang Sentral will not improve the situation, unless exclusive right-of-way are given to the buses (bus lanes, priority signals etc), the schedules, routes and the pick-up and drop-off points are put in order (to avoid unruly queues of competing operators), and the incentives are there for buses to stage (during non-peak hours) in a depot-like environment that should exist next to Klang Sentral.

Meanwhile, MPK is seeking approval from the State Government to introduce a new bylaw which vested power to MPK to act against errant bus operators, including those who refused to shift operations to Klang Sentral.

The Transportation Minister, Datuk Ong Tee Keat when commenting on the issue said that the management of the bus terminal is under the jurisdiction of the local authority. “Nonetheless, because of its relevancy to transportation and due to public interest, the ministry will try to solve the problem. Through Urban Public Transport Committee which I myself will lead, we will zoom in on the problems faced in Klang Sentral. I will dispatch representatives to MPK and CVLB to learn the actual problem, and hence to seek the way forward for the solution.”

TRANSIT Says:

Since when does the local authority have any power over public transport? How many committees need to be established to solve the issue? What happened to the promises of Budget 2009 to establish SPAD which supposed to coordinate responsibilities and jurisdictions among countless of government ministries and agencies accordingly?

The letter from Zul of TRANSIT is below:

Saya ingin mengulas pada isu keengganan pengusaha bas untuk beroperasi di Klang Sentral seperti yang terpapar dalam berita Utusan bertajuk “Permit lama punca bas tak singgah Klang Sentral”.

Kedudukan terminal Klang Utara yang dikatakan tidak dapat menampung
pertambahan bilangan bas bukanlah merupakan punca utama kepada kesesakan trafik di bandar Klang. Kesesakan trafik di bandar Klang hanya akan dapat dileraikan sekiranya keperluan infrastuktur pengangkutan awam dapat dipenuhi untuk menjadikan penggunaan kenderaan awam lebih menarik berbanding penggunaan kenderaan peribadi.

Laluan-laluan eksklusif bas perlu diwujudkan supaya bas-bas dari arah Shah Alam, Kapar, Meru, Pelabuhan Klang dan Panglima Garang akan dapat menuju ke pusat bandar dengan lebih cepat berbanding dengan kereta. Jadual masa dan laluan bas serta lokasi perhentian bas perlu diseragamkan supaya bas-bas tidak saling memotong dan memintas antara satu sama lain untuk merebut para pengguna-pengguna bas di pusat bandar Klang.

Kenyataan-kenyataan yang seolah-olah menggambarkan Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan memiliki bidang kuasa untuk mengawal salah-laku pengusaha pengangkutan awam tidaklah tepat. Pertindinan bidang kuasa antara agensi kerajaan di peringkat negeri dan pusat merupakan salah satu sebab mengapa kualiti pengangkutan awam di negara ini sukar untuk diperbaiki.

Adalah diharapkan Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) yang dijanjikan oleh Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dalam Belanjawan 2009 dapat membawa agenda penambahbaikan pengangkutan awam darat yang bersepadu dan menyeluruh, melalui penyelarasan pertanggung-jawaban dan bidang kuasa antara agensi-agensi berlainan di peringkat kerajaan pusat, dan melalui penglibatan agensi kerajaan di perbandaran tempatan yang memiliki kesedaran dan pengaruh pemantauan dan pelaksanaan yang lebih kuat akan keadaan mobiliti awam semasa di peringkat lokaliti.

SPAD sewajarnya mempunyai bidang kuasa tertinggi di peringkat Parlimen bagi menggubal undang-undang untuk mencapai objektifnya. Di bawah SPAD perlu diwujudkan Pihak Berkuasa Pengangkutan Awam Pusat (PBPAP) yang bertanggung-jawab menjamin piawaian dalam menentukan penanda capaian prestasi utama (KPI) bagi seluruh negara. Dasar perancangan pengangkutan awam bersepadu hendaklah diselarikan dengan Pelan Fizikal Negara, dan PBPAP bertanggung-jawab untuk menggemblengkan kerjasama dari kementerian dan agensi sokongan kerajaan berkaitan dengan pengangkutan awam, melalui skop pertanggung-jawaban yang lebih jelas dan penilaian pencapaian KPI. Ketelusan dalam pencapaian KPI perlu dititik-beratkan dan ini adalah tanggungjawab utama SPAD.

PBPAP akan memastikan Pihak Berkuasa Pengangkutan Awam Tempatan (PBPAT) mematuhi piawaian untuk mengawal laluan, kadar tambang, aset, pemantauan trafik dan operasi, serta penyediaan zon transit.

Pengusaha pengangkutan awam akan bersaing dengan pengusaha lain bukan dalam merebut penumpang, tetapi dalam mencapai sasaran KPI masing-masing, sepertimana dalam perjanjian yang dimeterai dalam tempoh kontrak berkala dimana sekiranya mereka tidak dapat mencapai sasaran KPI, kontrak akan diberikan kepada syarikat lain.

Perkhidmatan pengangkutan awam seharusnya dijadikan teras utama dalam strategi kerajaan bagi tujuan peleraian kesesakan trafik. Keperluan mobiliti di bandar-bandar besar yang meningkat tidak akan mampu lagi disokong oleh pertambahan prasarana kerana arus pertambahan penggunaan (bukan pemilikan) kenderaan peribadi jauh merentas keupayaan penambahbaikan prasarana sedia ada.

Masalah trafik akan menurunkan tahap sosioekonomi masyarakat dari aspek produktiviti, permintaan bahan api, kos rawatan hospital, kebersihan alam sekitar, kualiti hidup dan jurang ekonomi antara kelas masyarakat.

Dianggarkan negara kita kerugian 2% daripada Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar setiap tahun akibat penurunan produktiviti sektor awam dan swasta disebabkan kesesakan trafik.

Saya bermohon agar cadangan-cadangan Persatuan Untuk Penambah-baikan Pengangkutan Awam (TRANSIT) (boleh dimuat-turun di laman sesawang transitmy.org/proposals) dirujuk semula oleh pihak berwajib untuk memastikan negara kita terus kompetitif dan produktif dalam melestarikan tema ‘Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan’.

Sumber rujukan:
http://transitmy.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/2009-02-04-proposal-to-land-public-transport-commission.pdf
http://transitmy.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/klang-rapid-transit-routes-summary.pdf