All over the world, public transport is provided to ease the public. This includes our country, Malaysia. As you can see, in big cities like Kuala Lumpur, people tend to use public transport to travel. It is more convenient, and the cost is low, too.
However, there is some issue regarding public transport in Malaysia. A Twitter user, @slainthayer, listed ten concerns that are hoped to change for the better in the nearest future.
1) Kelana Jaya LRT
- When Kelana Jaya LRT suspended its service for a few days, it has cost productivity losses. Many people have asked to work from home instead of going to the office. Aside from that, the roads are filled with cars. There is no other way to get to work than to use other than public transport.
2) The frequency of RapidKL
- The public transport of RapidKL takes time to arrive at a certain destination. RapidKL at least takes 30 minutes to arrive. According to @slainthayer, Ukraine, the country that is at war, has a better frequency than our transport.
3) City buses
- Singapore, a small country, has 5500 city buses. Klang Valley which has 30 percent more population than Singapore only has 860 buses.
4) Klang Valley Double Tracking
- KTM Komuter cannot run at full capacity due to the Klang Valley Double Project being postponed. The first section of the project was supposed to finish by 2019. However, a new report suggests that it will wrap up in 2023.
Picture: Business Today
5) Johor Bahru Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
- @slainthayer has no idea what is happening with this project. The initial purpose of this project is to cater the transportation needs for the residents in the area.
6) Penang LRT
- This project has been abandoned for years due to a lack of funding.
7) Touch n Go
- We are left far behind with this system. Other systems in other countries can top up the card online, pay by QR code, or debit/credit card, etc.
8) Walkability
- Sidewalks are meant to secure pedestrians’ safety. However, in our country, the sidewalks area are very dark to walk through. There are no lights, and aside from that, you cannot protect yourself from bad weather as there is no roof.
9) Bicycle infrastructure
- Have you ever wondered by people do not use their bikes to go to work instead of cramming in the LRT? There is no specific lane for cyclists.
10) Transit Funding
- RapidKL skipped 20 months of their service due to a lack of funding. Other bus companies also shut down the service for the same reason.
Many people rely on public transport. Thus, it is hoped that the Minister of Transportation, Anthony Loke, can change the state of our public transport for the better.
Source: @slainthayer (Twitter)