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PETALING JAYA: Public bus service provider RapidKL has been criticized by the public transport NGO Transit Malaysia for the decision to terminate 13 bus routes in the Klang Valley in recent months.
Transit said this move will make users uncomfortable and create congestion.
“We have calculated that the total length of the bus routes completed by RapidKL is about 190 km. This will separate neighborhoods and districts from city centers, and will inconvenience users by making public transportation less available, less reliable and less frequent, ”he said today in a statement.
Among the completed routes are essential ones such as Route 852 between Titiwangsa LRT and Solaris Dutamas and Route 754 between UiTM Puncak Perdana and Seksyen 2 Shah Alam.
Transit said the worst hit would be students and underpaid essential services workers.
“How will students feel when they physically return to campus and discover that there are no longer bus services? Your alternative is a free RM20 ride, more than five times the bus fare? What about essential workers who are poorly paid but must work and who depend on these inexpensive bus services? “Transit said.
The statement said it was surprising that RapidKL had cited “low passenger numbers” as one of the reasons for the termination of these routes, as this was caused by the conditional movement order (CMCO) that had been imposed in the valley. by Klang.
“Malaysians supported CMCO because it is the right thing to do to prevent the community spread of Covid-19. We did not expect it to be used as a justification for eliminating bus services, ”it reads.
Another reason given by RapidKL was the overlapping of routes, but the NGO suggested that a better solution to this problem would be to “unravel” the overlaps rather than finishing the entire route.
“Reducing the routes would cause an influx of passengers on alternative buses and it is ironic to see that RapidKL has a limit of 30 to 40 people. This would make physical distancing difficult, ”they said.
The NGO added that no plans have been announced to reactivate these routes in the future, leading them to believe that the routes will not be replaced once the pandemic subsides.
He criticized RapidKL for the lack of public consultation before making these decisions, saying it was an insult to public transport users.
“Public transport users deserve better. We cannot improve public transport without improving policies and governance. Nor can we improve public transport if financial and structural models favor cost reduction over quality of service; a mediocre commitment, ”he said.
Transit Malaysia also urged the finance ministry and RapidKL’s parent company, Prasarana Malaysia Berhad, to devise a new model for the public transport system that puts quality and service standards above cost reduction.
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