Property Hunter Magazine Property Hunter Magazine - Issue 56 | Page 40

/// Hot Topic population size, what percentage of this population uses public transport and are they willing to pay for the LRT service. There must also be an efficient feeder bus system from the LRT stations to the surrounding residential and commercial areas.” “If we cannot generate usage and revenue from the users, we won’t be able to convince the investors to finance a project of this scale,” stressed Stanley. The Kualau Lumpur LRT and monorail system which began operation n 1998 was built at the cost of RM1.18 billion. Almost 20 years later, it has integrated its transportation network that transports approximately 4.8 million passengers every week with 1092 buses and 60 rail stations operating daily. The 8.6km KL monorail runs across 11 stations and is the intercity public transit system that links key destinations within Kuala Lumpur and serves its central commercial, employment and shopping district. Yet despite these figures, only a fraction of the city’s population uses public transport today and this situation is mirrored throughout Malaysia. A research article on Mode Choice between Private and Public Transport in Klang Valley, Malaysia by University of Malaya published in 2014 stated that in 2010, only 17% of the population in Klang Valley used public transportation compared to usage in more populated cities such as Singapore (64%), Hong Kong (74%), and London (90%). Monorail in Kota Kinabalu city - artist’s impression Opponents to the system also counter that the LRT system provides little of the benefits of reducing pollution and traffic congestion because Malaysians still choose to buy a car, pay higher fuel prices, taxes and maintenance for the sense of independence and convenience a personal vehicle gives them. If drivers do not choose public transport over personal vehicles, the cost of building an LRT system would far outweigh the perceived benefits. We can argue that money or more specifically the availability of money will tip the scale to realising the dream of implementing a LRT in Kota Kinabalu. Sabah after all has the resources to generate funds for this. 40 www.PropertyHunter.com.my Imaginary monorail in Kota Kinabalu city- artist’s impression