MRT risks repeating LRT integration screw-ups, say residents
By Lee Wei Lian and Mohani Niza, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Residents in the capital have expressed dismay that the city’s already fragmented rail transit system could be exacerbated by a lack of integration and interchanges in the multi-billion ringgit MRT system.
The proposed MRT alignment does not include an interchange with the city’s main rail hub despite running alongside it, stops short of the Damansara town centre, and has planned a station located away from the 1Utama mall, bus hub and major car park area.
Lack of seamless integration has been by far the biggest criticism of the city’s existing transit system, prompting some to describe it as an embarrassment to KL which has aspirations to become one of the top 20 most liveable and economically vibrant cities in the world.
Examples of integration failures include the Masjid Jamek interchange where commuters once had to exit the station and cross a busy road to change to another train line, and the Dang Wangi-Bukit Nenas “interchange” where commuters must exit the LRT station and walk about five minutes in order to change to the monorail line.
The system has also been widely panned for the lack of integration of train lines with malls, office buildings, bus hubs and other key destinations.
One example is lack of accessibility of the highly-popular MidValley City commercial complex from the LRT, despite the two being located only a short distance away from one another and built at about the same time.
The city’s monorail line has also been strongly criticised for stopping short of the KL Sentral rail hub, forcing commuters to make a 5-10 minute trek in order to change to the LRT, ERL or KTM Komuter trains.
Residents who spoke to The Malaysian Insider said that it is common sense to have seamless integration, and expressed fears that the MRT will repeat the same mistakes as the LRT system.
A resident of Kota Damansara who wanted to be known only as Goh, said the MRT planners should learn from the LRT’s mistakes and make the system as seamless as possible.
“Look at the Masjid Jamek station,” he sniffed. “You call that an interchange?”
Dhiva, 25, a help desk co-ordinator with a local mobile network operator and daily LRT user, said it made better sense to have a seamless interchange between the MRT and the LRT in KL Sentral rather than the planned MRT station located outside the hub which would force commuters to walk perhaps as much as 5-10 minutes just to change to the LRT.
“It’s a bit silly and a waste of public money to have the MRT station so far away,” he said. “It defeats the purpose of having a hub.”
A Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) source said the MRT’s KL Sentral station will be linked to KL Sentral by a 200m walkway, adding the MRT and LRT system interchange is at the Pasar Seni station, one stop away.
Tengku Nazira, who owns the La Cucur cafe in KL Sentral, said that while the MRT is a good initiative, it would be more convenient for commuters to have a well-connected interchange with the LRT.
“Is this the best that they could do?” she questioned.
Commuters with disabilities could also face challenges from a lack of integration.
A 1Utama outlet proprietor who lived in Hong Kong for years expressed frustration over the proposed location of the 1Utama station, saying that it is missing out on a great opportunity to create a smoothly-linked transport hub like those she once used in Hong Kong.
The current alignment places the station on a narrow strip of land between the TV3 office and the busy LDP highway, with limited space for future expansion.
The developer of 1Utama, See Hoy Chan Holdings, had previously suggested for the MRT station to be built underground as part of a transport hub and underground retail mall on the Western end of 1Utama, where there is ample space for building car parks and a growing bus hub serviced by Rapid KL buses as well as buses to the KLIA LCCT, Genting Highlands and Singapore.
The proprietor, who wanted to be known only as Tan, said it could be similar in concept to that in Hong Kong where the train stations are integrated with bus hubs.
She also said that it would be better to have the station integrated with the mall itself instead of its proposed location about a three-minute walk away.
