The Most Honourable Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday traveled from Serdang to Masjid Jamek by KTM Komuter and Putra LRT via KL Sentral Interchange “to get a feel of the transportation problems faced by the people and came away less than satisfied.”
Prime Minister outlined four major weaknesses of our public transportation system, i.e. over congested compartments, unsatisfactory services, insufficient frequency and insufficient coverage network.
I believe that if PM were to travel from his official residence in Putrajaya to Serdang KTM station by bus, he will have more grievances and complaints as there is no bus-stop in front of his official residence in Putra Perdana.
Public transportation has become an important issues, not only because it will be the focus of the upcoming budget after the steep fuel price hike in June 2008, but it is an issue that cut across all racial and religious backgrounds. A city without an efficient and reliable public transportation system will not be a livable city, especially when urban folks from the lower income group have to rely heavily on public transportation as their major mean of transportation.
A lot of people, mainly office workers have turned to public transportation as their daily mean to travel back and forth to their workplaces after the fuel price hike in order to cut down their reliance on personal vehicles and petrol. In fact, the number has been on the growth since petrol price was increased by 30 sen in in 2006.
However, with the increasing numbers of commuters and passengers, public transportation operators in Klang Valley especially Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (or Prasarana) have failed miserably to meet the demands of the passengers.
Prasarana is a wholly-owned Government company under the Ministry of Finance Inc., which was set up to own the assets of selected public transport companies, including the two light rail transit (LRT) lines namely the Ampang Line (or formerly known as Star LRT) and Kelana Jaya Line (or formerly known as PUTRA-LRT).
Prasarana also supplied 1,055 new buses as of April 2008 to service routes within the Klang Valley. Both the LRT and bus services are operated by Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (RAPID KL) a wholly-owned Government company under the Ministry of Finance Inc.
In December 2007, Prasarana took over the assets and operations of KL Monorail System which is currently being managed by KL StarRail Sdn. Bhd. (KLSR) a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prasarana.
For the past one month, there are numerous reports of breakdowns on the two LRT systems, not to mention the many unexpected delays in bus sevices.
I have been trying to make an appointment with the management of RapidKL and prasarana but was unfortunately poured with cold water (Please refer to the email). In an email I sent to RapidKL to seek for an appointment in relation to the frequent breakdown of the LRT services, I was given a reply a few days ago only after several follow-ups and that I was asked to arrange the meeting through Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MBPJ).
I wonder what has MBPJ to do with the breakdowns. Why an elected representative has to turn to MBPJ in order to convey the message of the people to the management of RapidKL?
There are many major issues concerning public transportation at various level. For example at the policy level, there are dispute why public transportation is put under various ministries when there should be one ministry to fully overlook public transportation?
DAP MP for Petaling Jaya Utara YB Tony Pua yesterday raised a question on on the status of the Commission of Public Transport (Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam) promised by the Prime Minister in his speech to the parliament on the 26th June 2008. YB Tony Pua and I were equally disappointed as the government has not made any decision on the set up of the Commission.
I hope both PM and the Transport Minister can look into Prasarana’s serious lack of concern in improving public transportation in Klang Valley.
Prime Minister outlined four major weaknesses of our public transportation system, i.e. over congested compartments, unsatisfactory services, insufficient frequency and insufficient coverage network.
I believe that if PM were to travel from his official residence in Putrajaya to Serdang KTM station by bus, he will have more grievances and complaints as there is no bus-stop in front of his official residence in Putra Perdana.
Public transportation has become an important issues, not only because it will be the focus of the upcoming budget after the steep fuel price hike in June 2008, but it is an issue that cut across all racial and religious backgrounds. A city without an efficient and reliable public transportation system will not be a livable city, especially when urban folks from the lower income group have to rely heavily on public transportation as their major mean of transportation.
A lot of people, mainly office workers have turned to public transportation as their daily mean to travel back and forth to their workplaces after the fuel price hike in order to cut down their reliance on personal vehicles and petrol. In fact, the number has been on the growth since petrol price was increased by 30 sen in in 2006.
However, with the increasing numbers of commuters and passengers, public transportation operators in Klang Valley especially Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (or Prasarana) have failed miserably to meet the demands of the passengers.
Prasarana is a wholly-owned Government company under the Ministry of Finance Inc., which was set up to own the assets of selected public transport companies, including the two light rail transit (LRT) lines namely the Ampang Line (or formerly known as Star LRT) and Kelana Jaya Line (or formerly known as PUTRA-LRT).
Prasarana also supplied 1,055 new buses as of April 2008 to service routes within the Klang Valley. Both the LRT and bus services are operated by Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (RAPID KL) a wholly-owned Government company under the Ministry of Finance Inc.
In December 2007, Prasarana took over the assets and operations of KL Monorail System which is currently being managed by KL StarRail Sdn. Bhd. (KLSR) a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prasarana.
For the past one month, there are numerous reports of breakdowns on the two LRT systems, not to mention the many unexpected delays in bus sevices.
I have been trying to make an appointment with the management of RapidKL and prasarana but was unfortunately poured with cold water (Please refer to the email). In an email I sent to RapidKL to seek for an appointment in relation to the frequent breakdown of the LRT services, I was given a reply a few days ago only after several follow-ups and that I was asked to arrange the meeting through Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MBPJ).
I wonder what has MBPJ to do with the breakdowns. Why an elected representative has to turn to MBPJ in order to convey the message of the people to the management of RapidKL?
There are many major issues concerning public transportation at various level. For example at the policy level, there are dispute why public transportation is put under various ministries when there should be one ministry to fully overlook public transportation?
DAP MP for Petaling Jaya Utara YB Tony Pua yesterday raised a question on on the status of the Commission of Public Transport (Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam) promised by the Prime Minister in his speech to the parliament on the 26th June 2008. YB Tony Pua and I were equally disappointed as the government has not made any decision on the set up of the Commission.
I hope both PM and the Transport Minister can look into Prasarana’s serious lack of concern in improving public transportation in Klang Valley.
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