Rethink Mrt3 Learn From Glaring Mistakes Of Past Projects

---

 
By Rosli Khan
While I fully support public transport initiatives, I strongly believe that continued government spending on overpriced mega-projects is unjustified.
Malaysia’s progress as a nation cannot, and should not, be measured solely by the quality of public transport in its capital region.
A more balanced and equitable approach that prioritises regional development at reasonable costs is vital for fostering sustainable national growth.
The MRT3 project in the Klang Valley, with a staggering price tag exceeding RM50 billion, demands thorough reexamination.
Penang’s LRT, which will cost more than RM10 billion, also needs further scrutiny – but that’s another story
The government’s previous investments in MRT1 and MRT2 failed to achieve their twin objectives of increasing public transport ridership and alleviating traffic congestion.
Key reasons for these failures can be summarised into the following four broad categories:
Poor alignment choicesA significant portion of the alignments for MRT1 and MRT2 run alongside expressways or major roads, making them far from optimal.
These routes are distant from residential areas, inconvenient to access, and unattractive to potential users due to the need for first-mile and last-mile connectivity.
Examples include:
MRT1, which parallels the Sprint Highway, Jalan Damansara, and Kajang main toll roads.MRT2, which runs along major expressways and major roads such as Jalan Sungai Buloh, Damansara-Ulu Kelang Expressway and KL-Seremban highway.,LRT3, which runs largely along the Federal Highway and then cuts across along the North Klang Valley Expressway.All these alignments fail to penetrate deeper into residential areas, particularly those inhabited by B40 and M40 groups — the key target audience for public transport.
Poor station locationsMany stations are built above expressways or major roads, making them difficult for passengers to access.
With intersections and busy roads on both sides of the station, coupled with a lack of park-and-ride facilities, passengers find it challenging to use these stations.
Walking or cycling to these stations is impractical.
Examples of poorly planned stations include TTDI, Phileo Damansara, Pusat Bandar Damansara and Semantan; Taman Naga Emas, Sungai Besi, Serdang Raya Utara, and Serdang Raya Selatan; and Glenmarie, Tropicana and Bandar Utama..
Neglected catchment areasKey areas with high potential ridership have been overlooked, while stations are placed in areas with minimal demand or in undeveloped regions. Some examples:
MRT1 bypasses Universiti Malaya, Universiti Hospital and UKM Bangi.MRT2 fails to serve densely-populated areas such as Sentul, Danau Kota, and Keramat in the north, as well as deeper residential areas of Sungai Besi (UPNM) and UPM, which means ridership remains low.LRT3 ignored Kampung Jawa, Shah Alam city centre and UiTM, three key areas with high ridership potential.Meanwhile, MRT1 and MRT2 includes areas like Kwasa Damansara — completely undeveloped areas and devoid of residents even years after completion.
Lack of integrationIntegration between MRT, LRT, KTM and Monorail lines remains insufficient. Stations that are physically close often lack proper connectivity, forcing passengers to endure inconvenient transfers.
For example:
Many MRT stations near LRT or KTM stations are not linked, such as Titiwangsa, Sungai Besi, and Chan Sow Lin.LRT3 also bypasses key opportunities to connect with KTM and LRT1 and LRT2 stations, such as Subang Jaya, Subang Airport, Glenmarie and Lembah Subang.A rare success story is the Pasar Seni station, which offers seamless integration between MRT1 and LRT1, which resulted in high ridership for LRT1.
More such connectivity and station interchanges are vital for expanding the reach of public transport networks and to expand the catchment areas.
Moving forward
Rushing into MRT3 without addressing the issues faced by its predecessors will likely lead to similar inefficiencies and failures.
Delaying the project provides an opportunity to:
Reevaluate objectives: Ensure the project aligns with Klang Valley transport goals and delivers tangible benefits to the public. The mistakes of MRT1, MRT2 and LRT3 must not be repeated.Improve procurement processes: Adopt transparent, efficient practices to minimise waste and ensure accountability. Planners of MRT3 must cast a wider net to include experts from different fields to assist in its implementation.No competing expressways: Conduct thorough feasibility studies and ensure that no new expressways are built to destabilise public transport networks. New expressways encourage more car usage and will negate public transport attractiveness.Ultimately, this approach will ensure that MRT3 serves as a critical backbone of the Klang Valley’s transport system.
With careful planning and execution, it could achieve its objectives of increasing public transport ridership and reducing traffic congestion — once and for all. - FMT
Rosli Khan is a transport consultant and an FMT reader. He can be reached at: [email protected]
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

---