THE Selangor government has unveiled a transportation master plan incorporating light rail transit (LRT), bus rapid transit (BRT), personal rapid transit (PRT), mass rapid transit (MRT) and a new KTM freight line, totalling 316km.
Another 130km in the same master plan overlaps with the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD)’s master plan, which is likely to be approved by the Federal Government.
But if all the proposed projects are given the green light, Selangor will have an additional 446km of public transport coverage by 2035. That will give people in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya easy access to public transport. But is utilising more of our precious land for roads and rail the best solution?
It is common to see people living in Kuala Lumpur travelling to Selangor for work, and vice versa. Wouldn’t it be better to commute a minimal distance for work, which would save time, transport cost and reduce pollution?
For example, the government should allocate one week in a year to promote job swapping in the public and private sectors.
This will allow employers and employees to consider swapping as many people working in similar roles and levels. They should be able to perform just as well, if not better, if stress levels are reduced.
It is hard to be productive at work after spending more than an hour driving or commuting by public transport. Likewise, how can one be cheerful and relaxed upon reaching home after work? This daily grind is bound to take a toll on both physical and mental health.
On the other hand, if people can walk or cycle to work nearby, precious hours can be saved every day, which can be translated into higher productivity and more quality time with the family.
While it is good to improve public transport so that less people drive
to work, surely, it would be better
to reduce unnecessary commu-
ting time.
There should be strategies to increase productivity and quality by introducing measures to reduce the time and money wasted travelling to work.
YS CHAN, Kuala Lumpur