Commuters say welcome MRT

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — The planned integration of Klang Valley’s public transport systems will ease travel and boost development, said commuters who spoke to The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

They said the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project, estimated to cost RM36.6 billion once fully completed, will slash their travel time considerably.

The first line, to be built from July 16 this year until 2016, will connect Sungai Buloh and Kajang via a 51km line which will pass through Kuala Lumpur’s city centre.

For students Kavitha Yankinaidu, 21; Sarranyah Subramaniam, 21; Rubaasheiniy Morganathasan, 22; and Mageshini Arumugam, 23, the MRT will make their daily commute to college easier.

The group of friends currently take the RapidKL bus to HELP University College in Pusat Bandar Damansara — but said they would rather not.
“The bus is very congested, especially in the early morning and evenings after 4pm. We get packed like sardines,” Kavitha said.

“Plus, when we miss the bus, it takes at least another half an hour for the next one to arrive,” Rubaasheiniy said.

Real estate manager Ivan Kee agreed the MRT would make commuting easier. The 41-year-old also anticipated that the project would also boost home prices in the Kajang area where he lived.

“Hopefully it will boost the value of property in Kajang,” he said.
Another commuter, Dr Julie Wong, also welcomed the project.

“I totally support it. Malaysia need to progress and develop,” said the 39-year-old medical practitioner, who described the current state of public transportation system here as inconvenient.

“Our train carriages are so small and crowded. This is different to the trains in Singapore and Hong Kong!”

But she cautioned that the MRT would also need to provide well-equipped parking lots.

“Parking is the biggest problem at each light rail transit (LRT) station that I go to. Perhaps they can provide automated carparks,” she said.

The Political Studies for Change (KPRU) executive director Ong Ooi Heng has said that as only one in three MRT stations will provide parking space, parking rates may increase in the Klang Valley.