It is a joke to compare a new born baby – Malaysia’s MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang line (SB-K line), to a 100 year-old subway system in New York and London, 40 year-old Hong Kong’s MTR system and 30 year-old Singapore’s MRT system (see http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/malaysias-mrt-system-better-than-london-and-new-yorks-says-najib).
What is the comparative basis between our just completed RM21 billion MRT SB-K line launched yesterday afternoon by Najib and Rosmah, supposedly with the latest technology, against the long existing train systems in New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore? Is our entire cabinet ministers standing behind Najib’s claim and should they resign en bloc, led by the transport minister Liow Tiong Lai, if this claim turns out to be another farce?
Who is this esteemed person or expert whom Najib sought an opinion that our MRT is better than New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore? Perhaps Najib asked Rosmah for her opinion before the launch yesterday?
Rather than comparing our local MRT system against other countries, the authorities should seriously consider to carry out a month-long or year-long satisfaction survey on this new SB-K line for the purpose of evaluation. Let the passengers decide if it is indeed a good transportation system.
As incentives, train companies in New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore and many other cities encourage passengers to buy travel passes at huge discounts for convenience. Discounts are given to senior citizens, students, persons with disabilities and even for off-peak travelers. However, our MRT has none of these except for a petty discount for Touch N Go users.
To encourage more MRT users and less cars on the road, the government must come out with various discounted travel passes for different category of users, including tourists. Perhaps Malaysia can then claim to have the cheapest MRT travel pass in the world?