Fed Up with Our Public Transport? Here Are 6 Improvements to Take Note Of

If you are a user of our public transport services, chances are you’ve probably complained about it at some time or another if not every day. Remember when services at 16 Kelana Jaya LRT line stations were halted for a full week? Or this broken down escalator at the Sri Rampai LRT station which remained unfixed for a full FIVE years? (legend says the escalator is still in the same state of disrepair, we are unable to confirm this).

In case you didn’t know, Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, a wholly owned government entity, operates a wide range of transport services under RapidKL, including the light, mass and bus rapid transit systems (LRT, MRT and BRT), the KL monorail, and a fleet of stage buses.

As reported by Free Malaysia Today, Prasarana’s CEO Azharuddin Mat Sah says the company is committed to making improvements to its transport services. This is to make public transport the preferred mode of travel in the Klang Valley. They plan to increase the current ridership from 15-16% to 40% by 2030. Here’s how:

1. LRT Intervals down to 3.8 minutes

In September 2023, the LRT intervals per train during peak hours were reduced to 3.8 minutes from the previous 4.4 minutes. They managed this by adding three new four-coach trains for the Kelana Jaya LRT Line under the Kuala Lumpur Additional Vehicle project (KLAV 27).

2. 4-minute frequency for MRT Kajang Line

In January 2024, the MRT Kajang line will be operating 36 trains with a frequency of 4 minutes. This line has 31 stations which begins from Sungai Buloh and runs through the city centre before ending in Kajang.

3. Number of buses increased to 1,000

To enhance its service efficiency, Prasarana was slated to increase its fleet of 800 buses to 1,000 buses last month. According to Transport Minister Anthony Loke, there are plans to further increase the number of buses in stages next year by adding on to the total every month. This will be done by either servicing existing buses or adding on new buses whether through purchases or leases. He also cited a lack of bus drivers being an issue.

4. LRT3 at 90% completion

The Light Rail Transit Line 3 (LRT3) project is at 90% completion status. It is slated to be completed by March 2025. LRT3 will seamlessly link with the Kelana Jaya line to take passengers into KL Sentral. It will also connect to the MRT Kajang Line at One Utama, expanding the transport ecosystem for diverse destination access. It will have a frequency of 6 minutes during peak hours.

In 2024, the government allocated RM4.7 billion for LRT3. The funds will be allocated for the following:

• The addition of five stations
• Provision of supporting infrastructure to these stations such as power supply and distribution systems, communications systems including IT
• Enhancements to the signalling and communication infrastructure
• Land acquisition
• Deployment of more feeder buses.
• The installation of a platform screen door system (PSDS) at all 25 stations to enhance passenger safety in line with modern urban railway practice and the development of an automatic fare collection (AFC) system.

5. Upgrades to the Pulse app

When you travel overseas, you usually use apps to get around but here, KL folk don’t rely on the Pulse app much. There are plans to upgrade their Pulse app for comprehensive planning, accurate bus tracking, and timely delay notifications. Azharuddin said their grand ambition is for Pulse to become an end-to-end journey planner with accurate information. Watch a short video on it here:

6. MRT3 in the Distant Future

Touching on the subject of MRT3 with a proposed line that goes through very densely populated areas, Azharuddin said it depends on government finances.

It will serve as the final piece of the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit network, connecting various mass rapid and light rail transits within the national conurbation to form a comprehensive network. The alignment of MRT3 will run along the perimeter of the city of Kuala Lumpur, connecting to existing MRT, Light Rail Transit (LRT), KTM Komuter, and KL Monorail lines through 10 interchange stations. View the full map here.

According to NST, in March 2024, MRT Corp is set to finalise tenders for the rail development after four extensions. The land acquisition process for the MRT 3 Circle Line project will commence in stages and span a two-year timeline. This means it will be many more years before it is completed, folks, so don’t hold your breath.

Not Up to Par

Azharuddin acknowledged that Malaysia’s public transport system and service are not at the same level as those in Singapore and Hong Kong, considered to be world-class public transport operators. Having taken the MTR and MRT in those countries, this writer concurs.

He added that they are learning from them and that those countries also encountered similar challenges a decade ago such as minimising delays, ensuring accessibility, maintaining affordability, expanding operating hours, managing crowds, and improving commute speeds. Azharuddin also said that it was important to enhance on-the-ground amenities such as more bus stops and covered walkways.

What other improvements do you think need to be made?

Image credit: Rapid KL, lrt3.com.my