/// 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.
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Imaginary monorail in Kota Kinabalu city- artist’s impression