Jb S Proposed Lrt System Gets Mixed Views

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Transport expert Rosli Khan says Johor Bahru may not have sufficient demand to justify the high cost of having an LRT system. (Facebook pic)PETALING JAYA: A transport expert was at odds with an economist and a business group over a proposal to implement a light rail transit (LRT) system in Johor Bahru.
Rosli Khan questioned its suitability and cost-effectiveness, citing lower demand on account of the southern city’s small population of approximately 500,000.
“The LRT is expensive to build, rather rigid in its alignment, has a fixed service route and requires support for the first and last mile. As it is often elevated, passenger access is poor.
“Johor Bahru may not have the volume of demand to justify the exorbitant cost of an LRT system,” he told FMT.
Rosli said the city may be better served by hydrogen-powered trams, similar to the ones used in Kuching’s new autonomous rapid transit (ART) system, since they are cheaper to procure and operate.
“The ART can cater for 200 to 300 people per vehicle per direction. If it runs every five minutes, then (it will make) 12 trips (in) an hour. Therefore, capacity is about 2,400 to 3,600 people per hour. Suitable for Johor Bahru,” he said.
Rosli was commenting after Johor Bahru city council (MBJB) mayor Noorazam Osman suggested an LRT system in the city.
Traffic congestion in Johor Bahru has worsened since construction commenced on a new Rapid Transit System (RTS) linking the city to Singapore by rail.
Noorazam said there was an urgent need to improve public transportation to support the RTS link, which is expected to move around 10,000 users per hour in each direction.
In contrast, economist Niaz Asadullah of Monash University said an LRT system would be suitable as he anticipates an uptick in cross-border business exchanges and increased road traffic when the Johor-Singapore special economic zone (SEZ) materialises.
“For Johor Bahru to thrive alongside economically booming Singapore, it needs to match the city-state in terms of public infrastructure.
“So there needs to be an emphasis on early investment in Singapore-styled public transport system,” he said.
Niaz also said an LRT system would alleviate the economic costs associated with congestion, particularly for SME owners and low-wage workers.
“By shortening public transport times, the LRT project will additionally draw in more B40 people and migrant workers without cars into the labour market and also help increase employment levels,” he said.
SME Association of Johor Selatan founding president Teh Kee Sin said an LRT system should have been an integral part of the Iskandar Malaysia masterplan introduced in 2007.
Teh said Iskandar Malaysia was intended for businesses in high-tech industries, but the lack of public transport to access the area had impeded its development.
“Fifteen years later, we actually do not see much exciting (business) happening in Iskandar Malaysia, especially in the Nusajaya area,” he said.
“This is because without your own vehicle, there is no way that we can reach there. The public transport – for example, the buses – (their timing) is so unpredictable.” - FMT

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