SPAD: Bus transport efficiency drops as city expands

SPAD official says it is natural for bus operators to make existing buses cover as much ground as possible, resulting in delays.

KUALA LUMPUR: The more a city expands, the less efficient the bus transport system will be.

This is according to Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) Chief Development Officer Prodyut Dutt, who explained that most bus operators were conducting their services from a business point of view.

Citing Seremban as an example, Dutt explained that losses were inevitable for bus operators when new roads and routes were developed.

“How they get around it is that they will make one single bus cover as much ground as possible. This minimises the cost, but it is the reason why busses arrive at their destinations later than they are supposed to.

“The key reason is urban form. The city has changed and expanded to the extent that a regular bus operating model is no longer sustainable,” Dutt said at a forum on public transport at the DAP headquarters here yesterday.

On a separate matter, Dutt also commented on the price hike for rail travel in the Klang Valley area.

In December last year, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) and Prasarana Malaysia Bhd both reviewed their fare structures, citing economic reasons and efforts to provide a more consistent fare structure.

They implemented a 36 per cent increase in fare, which amounted to a 4 sen increase for each kilometre.

Dutt said in his personal opinion the fare hike did not weigh heavily on consumers.

“The price of vada (Indian snack) increased by 30 per cent from 2012 to 2016. The last LRT fare was set in 1998, almost 20 years ago. I do not think that an increase of less than 50 sen is ridiculous.

“Of course, this is only my personal opinion.”