PETALING JAYA: Prasarana Malaysia Bhd is committed to making improvements to its transport services to make public transport the preferred mode of travel in the Klang Valley.
The company owns and operates a wide range of transport services under RapidKL, including the light, mass and bus rapid transit systems (LRT, MRT and BRT), KL monorail, and a fleet of stage buses.
CEO Azharuddin Mat Sah understands the challenges faced by users utilising its services, but gives an assurance that improvements are under way to boost ridership numbers.
“We have a big mandate, which is to provide the best public transport services.
“It is important for us to provide reliable service, and that’s something we’re striving to improve every day. When it’s supposed to be on time, it’s on time, it doesn’t break down,” he told FMT Business.
Making public transport the preferred option
Prasarana’s latest study indicates that public transport usage presently hovers at about 16%, suggesting that it needs to bridge a considerable gap to meet the company’s 40% ridership target by 2030.
“We want to encourage more people to use public transport. Our main goal now is to instil confidence in the public when they use public transport, assuring them that they will reach their destination on time. That’s our primary objective,” said Azharuddin.
He said Prasarana is making significant progress in improving the frequency of its services.
In September, transport minister Loke Siew Fook said the LRT was running at intervals of 3.8 minutes per train during peak hours, down from 4.4 minutes previously. This was achieved through the addition of three new four-coach trains for the Kelana Jaya LRT line under the Kuala Lumpur Additional Vehicle (KLAV 27) project.
Azharuddin also said improvements are being carried out to the MRT Kajang Line, the first MRT line to be put into service. Beginning next month, 36 trains will operate at intervals of four minutes.
He acknowledged, however, that bus ridership has fallen by as much as 50%, attributing it to an increase in private car ownership and reduced bus capacity post-pandemic.
He said Prasarana is boosting its 800-strong fleet to 1,000 buses by year-end to enhance service efficiency.
“Buses in Malaysia connect the last mile for convenient transportation. We deploy buses based on demand, with double-deckers for high ridership and efficient feeder buses to increase frequency,” he said.
Azharuddin concedes that Malaysia’s public transport system and service are not at the same level as those run by world-class public transport operators such as those in Singapore and Hong Kong.
“We are learning from them. They encountered similar challenges a decade ago.
“These challenges include minimising delays, ensuring accessibility, maintaining affordability, expanding operating hours, managing crowds and improving commute speeds.
“I also believe this goes beyond just rail and bus services. It’s imperative to enhance on-the-ground amenities, including adding more bus stops and covered walkways. These basic facilities are crucial for making our public transport world-class and ensuring it is easy for the public to walk to the nearest transit points,” he said.
Taking proactive actions
Prasarana has been under intense scrutiny over the last two years, particularly following a head-on collision between two trains on the Kelana Jaya Line on May 24, 2021.
The incident, which occurred between the Kampung Baru and KLCC stations, involved an empty manually-driven train and an automated driverless train with passengers, 47 of whom suffered serious injuries.
Azharuddin, who took over as CEO from Nizam Alias two months later, said Prasarana has put in place measures to prevent such incidents from recurring.
“We have to take proactive actions in this matter. We are determined to avoid a recurrence of the May 2021 incident.
“Safety is our utmost priority, and if we don’t meet our (own) high standards, we will not operate the trains, as happened with the Kelana Jaya Line in November 2022 and Ampang Line in January 2023,” he said.
In November 2022, 16 stations along the Kelana Jaya LRT line were closed for a week due to technical disruptions.
Two months later, Prasarana was forced to close the Masjid Jamek and Bandaraya stations on the Ampang LRT due to structural damage to a viaduct pillar arising from construction carried out nearby which also resulted in a misalignment of the track.
Azharuddin said Prasarana will carry out preventive maintenance to ensure the safety of all passengers, and the reliability and smooth operation of all its services.
“Our engineers now are trained and learning about different parts differently based on data.
“We are setting up a maintenance centre focusing mainly on data to ensure our trains will last longer,” he said.
Enhancing connectivity
Azharuddin said projects like LRT3, currently at 90% completion and slated for full completion by March 1, 2025, are necessary to enhance connectivity.
LRT3 will seamlessly link with the Kelana Jaya line, taking passengers into KL Sentral. It will also connect to the MRT Kajang Line at One Utama, expanding the transport ecosystem for diverse destination access.
Azharuddin welcomed the government’s RM4.7 billion allocation for LRT3 in Budget 2024.
He said the funds will allow the addition of five stations, and the provision of supporting infrastructure to these stations such as power supply and distribution systems, communications system including IT, enhancements to the signalling and communication infrastructure, land acquisition and the deployment of more feeder buses.
The allocation will also be spent on other areas, including 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 automatic fare collection (AFC) system.
Azharuddin said the importance of MRT 3 is undeniable.
“If you look at the proposed line it goes through very densely populated areas. It goes to Hartamas, then to Segambut and Pandan, right up to Ampang and also covers several areas in Kuala Lumpur.
“How urgent is it? I think from a public transport perspective we do require it, but we understand it is ultimately a government decision based on its finances.
Separately, Azharuddin also said Prasarana is planning to upgrade its app, Pulse, which will house a number of improvements, including the accurate tracking of buses. The app will also provide timely notifications of any delay.
“Our grand ambition is for Pulse to become an end-to-end journey planner. We want to make sure all information is accurate for our passengers so they can plan their journeys better,” he added.