Budget solution to commuter woes ‘useless’

A consumer association has chastised the government for engaging bleeding bus companies when it is "too late".

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite outcries from various quarters over poor public transport and related problems plaguing commuters, the government has still not addressed the matter, said the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations(Fomca).

The consumer affairs watchdog said that recent announcements by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak for Budget 2013 did not indicate any systematic efforts to overhaul the “terrible” state of the country’s public transport, which is a “key basic need”.

Fomca CEO Paul Selvaraj said that his organisation is concerned that too much emphasis is being given to mega projects such as the MRT and KTM Komuter while failing to integrate those systems with the ‘smaller’ buses and taxis.

“In every other country in the world, public transport is being subsidised, and the consumer gets an affordable service.”

“What’s happening now is that whenever a bus service, which is privately run, has suffered too much loses and is forced to stop operation, then only the state starts engaging with them. It’s too late then,” said Selvaraj.

Citing examples of bus companies that have closed shop in Seremban, Kuantan and Malacca, he said the local government tried to help them, but these gestures seemed like an afterthought.

“By then, the bus operators are asking themselves: Why should we continue to run when we are just losing money?”

Paul said that a reasonable standing policy should be worked out with bus operators so that they are financially stable and regulated by the state.

“Don’t wait for a crisis,” he advised.

He said that while the government just announced a new RapidKuantan and hailed RapidKL “as successful”, the fact remains that “they are terrible.”

“Buses shouldn’t be caught in a traffic, but they are. Also, I myself am afraid to take the KTM… too many times it came late. So what if we’re getting more discounts (for KTM) Fix the system, not give out bits and pieces.”

He said that free competition among public transport operators was also a big “no no”.

“You do not allow competition. It should be regulated. You need buses to run even during unpopular times.

Other issues

According to Fomca, there are other issues on public transport that needs addressing and these include:

• Bus lanes and other facilities
• Safety and comfort
• Proper information
• More buses and train carriages that are better organised
• Affordable and reasonable fares
• Management in low demand areas
• Bus shelters and covered pedestrian walkways
• Effective Feeder bus system
• Access to public transport for people with disabilities
• Taxis quality of service needs to be addressed

On the suggestion that local councils should be roped in to fix the public transport system, Paul disagreed.

“I don’t think that will work. The whole issue last time was that there were too many agencies handling transport. Now there’s supposed to be just one– SPAD.”

He said that while state governments, perhaps out of desperation, have been coming forward, the local authorities can only help with planning the routes.

The federal government, must, and should step in to work things out, he said.

Earlier this year, a national survey by Fomca noted that the chief concern of all consumers was the increasing prices of food and essential goods. The second biggest concern was public transport.

The government’s response to public transport grouses in the 2013 Budget has been limited to extending the current 50 per cent discount for KTM Komuter train fares to Malaysians earning under RM3,000 a month and launching more buses under state-owned transport firm Syarikat Prasarana Nasional Berhad (Prasarana).