Experts pan Putrajaya Corp’s move to scrap ART system

 Transport consultants say cancellation of the RM211.95 million project wrongly prioritises short-term savings over long-term mobility, connectivity and social returns.

Putrajaya Corporation scrapped its proposed ART system after preliminary studies found that it would cost RM211.95 million to build and run over 10 years. (File pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Putrajaya Corporation’s (PPj) decision to drop the proposed Automated Rail Transit (ART) system focuses too narrowly on short-term costs, overlooking longer-term mobility, economic and social returns, say transport experts.

Transport consultant Rosli Azad Khan said the estimated RM211.95 million cost over 10 years should not be viewed in isolation, and that the project must be evaluated using a cost-benefit analysis rather than focusing solely on operating costs.

“In the case mentioned, it would average about RM21.1 million per year to run the system or about RM27,000 per day,” he told FMT.

“But what if the total number of passengers that will benefit from such a system adds up to more than RM27,000 per day? Should we still reject it on the basis of cost?”

Deputy federal territories minister Lo Su Fui said Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) dropped the ART proposal after preliminary studies found that implementation, infrastructure development, operations and maintenance would cost RM211.95 million over a 10-year period.

He said measures to ease traffic congestion in Putrajaya now include the operation of NadiPutra buses on seven daily routes and water taxi services.

Rahman Hussin, executive director of MY Mobility Vision, said that RM211 million over a decade was negligble compared to the billions of ringgit spent on national rail infrastructure.

“Cancelling it saves money on paper, but it creates a connectivity gap in reality,” he said, warning that the MRT Putrajaya Line risks being underutilised without a strong feeder system.

“We are saving millions on the ART only to lose billions in economic productivity due to continued congestion.”

Rapid Rail, the operator of Klang Valley’s LRT, KL Monorail, MRT Kajang and Putrajaya lines, reported RM1.3 billion in operating expenses last year.

Total revenue was RM721.5 million, yielding a RM603 million deficit partially covered by government subsidies worth RM216 million.

Rahman said the decision also reflected a failure to consider the social return on investment, which takes into account wider benefits such as reduced congestion, higher productivity and improved liveability.

“If we value short-term cash flow, cancelling it makes sense. But if we value social and economic returns, it’s a mistake,” he said.

Buses ‘not enough’ to shift behaviour

Both Rosli and Rahman said that the reliance on buses will not allow Putrajaya to achieve its target of 70% public transport usage under PPj’s transport masterplan.

Rosli said buses carry fewer passengers and incur higher costs per seat-kilometre, adding that long waiting times further discourage commuters and visitors.

“When the waiting time is too long, or departures are far apart, most visitors will abandon the buses. A road-based tram system would be a better fit,” he said.

Rahman said commuters are 20% to 30% more likely to use rail-based or rail-like systems than buses, even when travel times are similar, citing the “perceived permanence” of fixed systems.

He said improving Putrajaya’s transport network would require a shift towards demand-responsive feeder services, noting that in tropical climates, the willingness to walk drops sharply beyond 400 metres. - FMT