/// Hot Topic
Is It Time For Kota Kinabalu To Have LRT?
/// HOT TOPIC
An imaginary superimposed LRT system in Kota Kinabalu city
O
ne of the many factors that
have contributed to the
urbanisation of Sabah’s
towns is its network of roads. Kota
Kinabalu is of course the main
beneficiary of this progress with all
roads leading into the city having
undergone a series of upgrades.
Today we have four- and six-lane
dual carriageways, flyovers and
link roads to connect the city to
highly populated residential areas,
business districts and industrial
centres that provide the manpower
and resources to drive the city’s
economy.
Having to move all these people
on a daily basis from their homes
to their workplace has created
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the inevitable problem of traffic
congestion. Yet, whenever a new
stretch of road is constructed to
relieve the pressure, more cars
would appear to fill up these roads
again.
The city development authorities
have been stuck with this persistent
thorn in the side for years and
frustration is building among road
uses to put an end to this daily
grind.
The most used public transport in
the city is the bus system which
unfortunately does not rate very
high on the efficiency and reliability
scale among the commuting public.
Wear and tear is evident on many
of the buses; they don’t run on a
schedule, the drivers’ road etiquette
is sometimes questionable and
unaccommodating routes has
made public transport undesirable
although it is the cheapest option.
Despite its many shortcomings, the
bus system has managed to play
its intended role as a transport
provider. City planners are now
being challenged to upgrade this
system or to find an alternative to
provide the public with a reliable
public transport system that is in
tandem with the city’s infrastructural
and population growth.
Several quarters have made
assertions that Kota Kinabalu is
ready for the implementation of a
Light Rail Transit (LRT) system to
ease traffic congestion.
However, there is that pressing issue
as to whether Kota Kinabalu has the
necessary population to warrant
such a massive undertaking like the
LRT, both physically and financially.
Stanley Chong who heads the City
Hall’s City Planning Department says
that population size and preference
are pertinent issues that they have
to address before making a final
decision as to which alternative
would be most suitable to counter
the city’s escalating traffic problem.
“Implementing the LRT or MRT
system in Kota Kinabalu is going to
be very expensive and we would
need to gather vital data such as