Public transport users, especially those relying on the KTM Komuter have been suffering for years while Minister Wee Ka Siong continues to delay the Klang Valley double tracking (KVDT) project.
Because of the purportedly much needed KVDT project, which involves refurbishing the existing train tracks which KTM Komuter trains run on, service intervals have dropped from a previous 15mins (during peak hours) to now 45-60mins intervals. This delay is to accommodate works happening on the tracks. How long should the Malaysian people tolerate while the Minister is indecisive.
The KVDT Phase 2 was supposed to have been completed in November 2019, after being awarded by the then Najib administration one day before parliament dissolved on 4th April 2018. However, it’s already 2022, and nearly 3 years after the targeted deadline, this project is still far from being completed, and users, including residents in my constituency of Bukit Gasing are still being affected by the low frequency of the trains. Public transport should not run at 45-60min intervals, in fact 15mins was already quite bad to begin with. There is no effort from the government to improve public transportation in Malaysia, but now they are making it worse and harder for people to choose public transport. Those who have no choice but to use public transport continue to suffer.
To add insult to injury, KVDT Phase 2 has been delayed nearly 2 years by Wee Ka Siong, for insisting to first cancel the project, which led to the government being sued by the terminated contractor, only to reinstate the contract in full recently. Two good years have been wasted on this, and now KVDT Phase 2 is going to further delay KTM from returning to its original service quality.Even baffling, the Independent Checking Consultant (ICC), whose job it is to oversee the quality of the work done has yet to be appointed.
The Pakatan Harapan Government prioritised the speed of the project while saving RM700 million. The value of the contract has stayed similar but has dragged on way too long while he dawdled. In fact, after the Sheraton move, former minister Anthony Loke argued that Wee’s actions to re-tender were going to set back the project without savings to the government,, which time has proven right.
This has badly affected service performance of KTM Komuter, and has affected many consumers, and KTM has shown a ridership drop by more than half during this period. Wee Ka Siong must answer now how he is going to rectify his mess and restore the service of KTM Komuter that is much needed by the public. The government should be working on improving the public transport system to gain the trust of the people, not making it worse and lowering ridership.