Current Issues

While it is good news that urban public transport development has

intensified since 2010, there are several issues that have to be
ironed out if we are serious in encouraging more people to use
public transport.
1. First-mile problem
The main problem, known as the “first-mile problem”, happens
before the commuter even reaches the train station. The commuter
would like to take the train to his destination, but is unable to do so
because he has trouble reaching the train station. Potential reasons
for this include erratic timing of buses and a long distance to the
nearest train station. Buses do not follow a fixed schedule, making it
difficult for commuters to plan their journey.  
2. Signage designs across different services
At train stations, there is a lack of uniformity in signage designs.
This could be attributed to the different owners of rail public
transport. For example, the Sri Petaling LRT and Kelana Jaya LRT
lines are owned by Prasarana Malaysia Berhad while KTM Komuter
is owned by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad. Commuters will
encounter vastly different design schemes in signage for both
companies. This may lead to confusion when commuters switch
from one service to another to reach a destination, especially
tourists as they are unfamiliar with the system and they face a
language barrier.
Policy Recommendations
1. Relevant Methods
The most pressing problem is connectivity from home to train
stations and train stations to workplaces. Therefore, an efficient bus
system is needed to ferry people from residential zones to
commercial zones and train stations. To achieve this, the Land
Public Transport Authority (SPAD) should encourage the local
authorities (such as DBKL and MBPJ) to devise bus routes with bus
operators and any other relevant methods tailored to local needs.
For example, provisions can be made for bicycle lanes to be built at
roads with less traffic to encourage cycling to the nearest station.
During peak hours, buses will operate on an increased frequency to
reduce wait time and overcrowding.
2. Design and Fare Integration
Next, SPAD should not just aim for physical integration, but also
design integration. This can be achieved by having an umbrella
body that only serves to coordinate the signage designs to ensure a
seamless experience for commuters from one service to another.
For example, all transport systems in Greater London, England
managed by Transport for London (TfL) have the same design
scheme of the roundel logo, but with different colours and letterings.
If this is emulated, it will create a sense of familiarity between vastly
different networks such as KTM Komuter and Prasarana’s rails.
Maps can also be updated to reflect the connectivity between
different services clearly. As for fare integration, KTM Komuter
already has plans for fare integration with LRT, MRT and KL
Monorail by 2017, which is a commendable effort.
3. Discounts for off-peak travel
As for the issue of overcrowding which is the norm during peak
hours, the service operators can offer commuters an incentive to
travel during off-peak hours. The aim is to spread out the crowd
over a longer period of time. The morning peak hour overcrowding
can be alleviated by giving discounts to those who exit in the
morning before 7.45 am and those travelling after 9.00 am The
same concept can be applied for the evening crowd. There is a
catch, however. This solution is only a short-term one because the
number of commuters will only increase in the coming years.
4. Expanding capacity
A potential long term solution to overcrowding is to expand the
capacity of the existing and upcoming services. There are two ways
to achieve this. First, there should be a study conducted to look into
the feasibility of using double-decker trains on existing railways.
This is recommended because it doubles the capacity without any
major change in infrastructure. Second, any upcoming projects
should have provisions for longer platforms. For example, if a
service is slated to launch with four-car trains, the platform should
be able to accommodate six-car trains. This allows the service to
expand in the future without any infrastructure problems.
Conclusion
It is hoped that by implementing these policies, the standards of rail
public transport in Malaysia will improve. Ambitious and grand
projects always look good on paper, but we should not forget that it
is also the little things that contribute to making these projects
successful in practise. Infrastructure is important, but so are things
like possibility of future expansion, fare integration and signage
designs.
* Ng Ming Yang is an Intern at the Centre for Public Policy Studies.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and
does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online
https://www.malaymail.com/s/1230461/ideas-to-further-improve-public-transportation-ng-ming-
yang