Posted under Everyday Life & My Thoughts
With the increase in petrol, government has been mocked and the idea of using public transport has just emerged once again. The government has urged the public to use our public transport to save cost due to the increasing in fuel price. I do agree with this idea, but then again, I still remember the hell I went through with public transport years back before I started riding a motorcycle.
I remember I have to wake up a little past five in the morning just to get ready and leave the house in time to catch the bus at six which sometimes comes before six. I know that the buses now are better, but then how much better is it and does it match up with the standard that we are looking for. Buses are just one type of transportation and then again it is still subjected to the traffic jam everyday. If the time you spend in the bus is equivalent or more than the time you would spend in a car during such hours, which would you choose? Furthermore, it’s more flexible driving as we have more control on our time rather than depending on the schedule of the buses which is irregular, not for all routes, but certain routes. I know it’s not fair to say this to all as I know some places do have regular buses, but still some place does not, especially during my time. I believe they have improved a lot now, which I believe is a very good thing indeed.
Apart from buses then we have the light rail transit (LRT) and the Putra light rail transit. It’s really a delight for areas with these facilities but then for those who do not, it’s not an alternative at all. Imagine driving for thirty to fourty five minutes just to reach the LRT station, park and then use the LRT system, but if you were to continue driving, you only need another five to ten minutes to reach your destination. I know I wouldn’t rely on the LRT as I have more control of my time driving. Another problem which I see is that, the route for the LRT is just not wide enough, where it only services certain areas.
A big problem which I see as well is the interchange of such services. The interchange stations are just not located in strategic areas, furthermore some of the interchange stations are just far away. Another matter which I experience in one of our neighbouring country is that there are discounts for interchanging mode of transport and not to say that their interchange stations are well constructed and you do not even need to leave the building or the interchange stations are linked underground or something like that. But the services there are provided may be by one company and governed by the government which s unlike us where we have different company for each service.
I guess to have an efficient and systematic public transportation system, careful planning and execution is needed. But then again in our country where we produce our own national car, it’s a bit of an ironic situation. On one hand we wish to boost the sale of our national cars as we produces them, but then on the other hand, we are encouraging the public to use more public transportation. So the conclusion for this matter is it that we should still support the national car by purchasing more cars but then to support the governments urge to use more public transport, park them at home and use buses and LRTs?
It’s hard to judge for people like me who has left public transport behind for about ten years. The most utilized public transport I have been using is the ERL which connects KL Sentral to KLIA, which I can say is expensive by a very fast and comfortable ride. Though I do not use public transport now cause of the horror of yesteryears, but the feedback from those using them now are actually better than back then. But then, it is better than before but it is still not ideal in replacing our own transportation as there are so many places that does not have public transport that we deem are convenient enough. We should help the government by supporting as much as we can, but of coz not at the expense of our convenience.
If you were to ask me, I will still prefer to drive because I need to move around rapidly around which public transport still pose a threat in terms of time for me. Another reason is that if I were to get stuck in a traffic I would prefer it be in the comfort of my car rather than a standing ovation in the bus which will obviously be at least twice the duration.
