Historic Melaka will have a RM272 million tram transportation system which will begin at the Plaza Tol Ayer Keroh and cover 23 locations, over a total distance of 40 km. This works out at an eye-watering RM7 million per kilometer.
The project will be a joint venture between the Melaka State Government, through its Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI), and MRails International Sdn Bhd (MRails).
Work on the project has only just been approved from the Transportation Ministry. It was supposed to be ready this May but will now be ready in May 2012.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who was at the ground breaking ceremony praised these “next generation trams” as they would be attractive to both locals and foreigners because it is environmentally friendly and would benefit Malacca’s tourism sector.
He said, “It is an iconic project that will become a tourist attraction not only for Malacca but also the country”.
Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam said the tram system will be powered by natural gas, the first such tram to be introduced in the world with a speed of 60 to 80 km per hour.
He said, “The building of this tram system is in line with the progressive Melaka (Melaka Maju) 2010 status and will enhance the public transportation system in Melaka which gets congested especially during the weekend.”
CMI would have a 20 per cent interest in the project while MRails which has a paid-up capital of RM1 million will hold the rest. The funding of the project would be via private funding initiative.
The tram will have a maximum capacity for 40 coaches and 6,000 passengers.
The number of passengers expected to use the tram services has been projected at 250,000 passengers a month.
Ali Rustam said that the fares would cost RM2 one way but be free for senior citizens and school children.
The popular spots along the route are the Hotel Seri Malaysia, Botanical Gardens, Melaka Zoo, Melaka International Trade Centre, Taman Muzaffar Shah, Pantai Hospital, Masjid Al-Azim, Hospital Melaka, Renaissance Hotel, Dataran Pahlawan, Hotel Mahkota, Harbour Club, Equatorial Hotel and Bukit Baru.
The main station would be located at a 20-hectare area at Plaza Tol Ayer Keroh which will be developed into a parking area for vehicles.
During the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between CMI and MRails last March, President of MRails Jeya Kumar said that the tram would run on a single track and be air-conditioned. The first model coach would be brought in from China.
He said Mrails had a partnership with CNR Tangshan Railway Vehicle Co Ltd (China), the biggest manufacturer of rail transport vehicles in the country.
The remaining coaches for the Melaka tram system will be built up in Tanjung Agas, Pahang which will include spare part facilities.
The Melaka tram is expected to operate from five in the morning to midnight with its frequency three to five minutes apart during peak hours.
Jeya added, “The people and tourists here will be getting the best in convenience through the tram transportation system which will be employing a green technology and be people-friendly as well”.
Not all residents welcomed the news.
Some Malacca residents are worried that this tram project will end up like the monorail. The RRM16 million Chinese made monorail line which only runs for 1.6 km and the monorail coach encountered problems at its launch. This new “green” tram project will also have Chinese built coaches.
Others are keen to know how transparent this project is. One resident said, “RM272 million is a lot of money and if there are cost over-runs, we end up paying for it.”
One student was quick to point out the fallacy of the project. She said, “If this project is environmentally friendly and is supposed to be “green”, why have air-conditioned coaches. That defeats all efforts to be “green” and increases the carbon footprint of the whole project."
However one senior citizen who used to lecture in ‘city-planning’ summed up the whole project. “There is no need for trams. When you operate a mixed traffic scheme, trams are more likely to be delayed by disruptions in their lane. Buses can manoeuvre around obstacles. When there is a breakdown or accident, or even roadworks and maintenance, a whole section of the tram network can be blocked. This is another get-rich-quick scheme of the Chief Minister. He need only spend a fraction of that RM272 million on a good, efficient public transport system and a good road network.” - Malaysia Chronicle
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