Friday, January 18, 2008

LRT extensions: Consult users and residents

NST 18 January 2008

By : DATUK LEE HWA BENG, State assemblyman for Subang Jaya


The extension of the Putra line from Kelana Jaya to Subang Jaya will ease traffic in these areas.
I REFER to the letter by Moaz Yusuf Ahmad ("
I think we all agreed that the extension of the Putra line from Kelana Jaya to Subang Jaya and the Star line from Bukit Jalil to Puchong will ease traffic in these areas. When both extensions were announced by the federal government last year, I held consultations with residents on the best route to Subang Jaya.
A memo was then prepared and given to the Transport Ministry. I had also requested through the Subang Jaya Municipal Council and Petaling District Office to have more detailed discussions on these two extensions. Sadly, Syarikat Prasarana, the company appointed by the government, refused to meet us.

They said they would meet us after the cabinet granted its approval.
However, I am doubtful any change will be accepted once the cabinet approves the plan.The LRT extensions are to benefit residents in Subang Jaya and Puchong.

Hence, the government or any agency appointed must consult the residents concerned. Otherwise, I fear we will have a repeat of the Putra and Star lines where some stops are not properly located.

Monday, January 14, 2008

LRT EXTENSIONS: Far too many holes in proposed plan

Taken From NST 15 January 2008

URL: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/Letters/2132651/Article/index_html


>> So we know what is the status in Subang Jaya. Any news on the same matters regarding Puchong? I was away outstation during the briefing. Hoping that any of the residents attended it and give us the updates. Thanks in Advance :)

By : MOAZ YUSUF AHMAD, Subang Jaya

I WAS one of the residents of Subang Jaya who attended the Jan 6 briefing on the Selangor 2020 structural and draft local plan.
The briefing was organised by Subang Jaya state assemblyman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng. Present were Subang Jaya Municipal Council and state government officers and Kelana Jaya MP Loh Seng Kok.

At the briefing, I raised my concerns over the plan-ned extension of the Kelana Jaya LRT to Subang Jaya and USJ. The government should consider alternatives to an extension of the Kelana Jaya LRT, which uses a costly technology available from a single company.

I also raised my concerns because the proposed routes looked confusing. Nothing on the map indicated the proposed LRT line from Kelana Jaya to USJ and Subang Jaya.
There was only a rail line from Subang Jaya KTM station extending through Subang Jaya, USJ and Putra Heights. What the map did show was the extension from Kelana Jaya LRT to Shah Alam and Klang.

Perhaps this confusion exists because the Selangor government and the federal government are not on the same wavelength when it comes to public transportation.
Perhaps the Selangor government wants to extend the LRT to Shah Alam and Klang instead of Subang Jaya and USJ.

This is why it is important for Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd to confirm the route for the proposed LRT extension as soon as possible. Residents of Subang Jaya have the right to know if the LRT is coming to Subang Jaya and USJ, and where the line will go when it is finally built.
The routing of the proposed rail line through residential neighbourhoods of SS14, SS17 and SS18 in Subang Jaya is one example. Residents of these areas are likely to be surprised to see the proposed rail line running along/above Jalan Jengka and the SS14 monorail drain.

Much of Subang Jaya is still a suburban community and the presence of an elevated LRT would have a negative impact on the lifestyle of many residents.
The routing of the rail line through industrial areas of USJ1 and USJ7 raises other concerns. Lee pointed out that this was to accommodate residents' wishes.

However, running public transit through industrial areas will reduce the number of potential passengers. The LRT will be far away from the majority of residents. This will make driving to the LRT station necessary and would do nothing to reduce traffic in Subang Jaya and USJ.
Then, we must consider the passenger volume. The maximum capacity of the Kelana Jaya line trains is 260 passengers (two carriages) or 520 passengers (four carriages).

The Kelana Jaya line is already 40 per cent overloaded. There is simply not enough room for any more passengers during peak hours.
Extending the Kelana Jaya LRT line to Subang Jaya and USJ (or Shah Alam and Klang) will mean less room for passengers from Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur.

The federal government and state governments must sit down together when planning public transportation. The confusion and lack of information from this briefing make this even more clear.

Fortunately, there are some positive notes. First, the Seri Petaling LRT will be extended to Puchong Jaya and further into USJ.
Second and more importantly, there is a proposed laluan transit running from KL to Puchong, following Jalan Klang Lama and Jalan Puchong.

This transit lane will open up access to Kuala Lumpur from the south side. It will give more residents the option of using public transportation and fill a major gap in the public transport network of the Klang Valley.