[sustran] fwd: Klang Valley Common ticketing system

SUSTRAN Resource Centre sustran at po.jaring.my
Tue Aug 8 10:24:01 JST 2000


Business Times (Malaysia):
http://www.nstpi.com.my/z//Current_News/BT/Friday/Business/20000803190037

Nation: Common ticketing system to integrate public transportation
By EIRMALASARE BANI
03 August 2000 

A PRIVATE consortium comprising seven operators has been formed to
implement a common ticketing system to expedite integration of the public
transport in the Klang Valley, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong
Sik said.

He said City Hall is undertaking a study on the system, together with the
light rail transit (LRT) and bus operators.

However, he declined to elaborate further.

“They are close to a solution,” he told reporters after launching Bandar
Sunway’s SunTrek 2000 monorail in Subang Jaya yesterday.

The common ticketing system will allow passengers to use similar tickets on
both the LRT and buses.

Earlier in his speech, Dr Ling said the integration of the urban transport
system is important for city centres like the Klang Valley to grow further
and to reduce traffic congestion at the same time.

He added that the Government is gradually implementing a parking policy
where the availability of parking space in the city centres will be
minimised and the rates made more expensive.

“Such policy, however, cannot be made overnight to prepare the public for
the changes,” he said.

He said the Government had undertaken several strategies to manage the
traffic in urban centres, especially in the Klang Valley, such as through
the development of an efficient, integrated and environment-friendly public
transport system.

Others include the amalgamation of city bus companies, upgrading of public
transport terminals and road infrastructure, and implementation of more
effective traffic demand management measures.

In addition, the Government will “facilitate the use of multimodal
transport” by systematically integrating transport infrastructure, such as
the provision of bus lanes, pick-up and drop-off points for buses and
taxis, and park-and-ride facilities for private vehicles close to LRT and
commuter stations.

Dr Ling said a recent study showed that during peak hours, over 80 per cent
of the vehicles in Kuala Lumpur city centre are private cars whereas in
cities like London and New York, 90 per cent of the vehicles are public
vehicles like buses and taxis.

“The time will come when an integrated transport system becomes a necessity
rather than choice to city dwellers,” he said, adding that the younger
generation are more receptive towards using public transport.

On the rail-based transport system currently being developed, he said the
Government is committed to complete the project “at the earliest possible
date” and to integrate it with the existing Sistem Transit Aliran Ringan
Sdn Bhd (STAR), Projek Usahasama Transit Ringan Automatik Sdn Bhd (Putra)
and KTM Bhd’s commuter trains.

The rail projects still under construction are the KL Monorail and Express
Rail Link, due to be completed in 2002.

The Government recently instructed the Corporate Debt Restructuring
Committee (CDRC) to oversee debtor-creditor negotiations of five main bus
and rail operators in Kuala Lumpur and to study the possibility of having a
single LRT system in the country.

The operators _ STAR, Putra, KTM, Intrakota Consolidated Bhd and Park May
Bhd _ are said to be running at a loss and facing some RM10 billion of
combined debt.

It is believed that the CDRC proposal has been submitted and includes
reverting the ownership of all assets to the Government, which would later
engage the private sector to operate and maintain the assets through
five-year franchises.


Copyright © The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad, Balai Berita 31,
Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 
---------------------------------

Distributed for the purpose of education and research.

A. Rahman Paul BARTER
SUSTRAN Resource Centre
Information services for the Sustainable Transport Action Network
for Asia and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network)
sustran at po.jaring.my 
http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran
http://www.geocities.com/sustrannet



More information about the Sustran-discuss mailing list