Here are my thoughts as a frequent LRT user
It is no secret that the public transport system in Malaysia leaves much to be desired, however, none stick out more than the Light Rail Transit (LRT) mainly due to the fact that the Kelana Jaya (KJ) line recently broke down twice in the span of a week after a week of fixing it, so how do we fix this problem then?
Well, recently our Minister of Transport, YB Anthony Loke, took to twitter to share his experience on the LRT. He tweeted that he visited the KJ line between 5 and 7pm (peak hours) to experience first hand what many Malaysians have to go through and that he will hold a meeting to discuss methods of improvement.
As a frequent LRT user myself, here are my suggestions on what I think the government should be focusing on when it comes to the LRT. In my humble opinion, the biggest issue with the LRT system here in Malaysia is a lack of trains. Some lines usually have a train every 6 minutes while some require us to wait up to half an hour.
While 6 minutes may not seem that long, I think 30 minutes between trains is absurd, therefore the first thing I think we need to fix the LRT is to get more trains on the tracks to cut down waiting times between trains. If this fix can be implemented it will also solve the next major flaw I think the LRT and Malaysian public transport has.
The next issue I think needs to be fixed in regards to the LRT is the lack of seating. Perhaps the LRT could utilize a similar seating structure to the KTM and add more seats along the entire length of the train as I far too often see others and myself ending up sandwiched between people all cramped up like sardines in a can.
The third and perhaps most difficult to solve issue I have with the LRT is the reliability of the entire system itself. Far too often, I have experienced random stops followed by an announcement to “please get down because we are facing technical issues,” and what is the solution? A free bus that is arguably even worse.
I recall having to take one of these free buses as a result of the LRT randomly breaking down which made me late to an interview. Anyone who knows me knows I am always extremely punctual. I even left my house an hour early but because the free bus had to take long routes to get from 1 stop to the next, I was still late.
To be frank, there are countless other issues that need to be addressed like a lack of qualified people running the system and so on but for now, I think these are the major factors that must be fixed first. What else do you guys think the LRT needs to fix?
