By Raveen Jeyakumar
The government should improve the quality of the public bus system throughout Malaysia so that more people will use buses as their primary mode of transport.
Malaysians prefer to use their own cars rather than public buses due to the below-par quality of public bus services.
As a result, too many cars clog our roads, and that creates problems such as severe traffic congestion (especially in cities), a higher risk of road accidents, air pollution, global warming due to higher greenhouse gas emissions, and driver stress.
If the public bus system is expanded and made more efficient and effective, then the public will be encouraged to use buses as their main mode of transport instead of private motor vehicles.
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The government should take several measures to encourage more people to use the buses:
- Construct and provide more public buses and expand public bus services throughout Malaysia to increase the frequency of bus services so that passengers do not have to wait long at bus stops or depots
- Ensure that bus operators and drivers always follow the set travel schedule and are never late when starting their journey
- Upgrade and clean the buses and old and dirty bus stations and terminals throughout Malaysia so that the public will feel safer and more comfortable when using buses
- Use buses powered by electricity or hydrogen gas so that public bus services become environmentally friendlier
- Charge cheaper bus fares at the start of this initiative. When more people use the buses more often, parking fees for cars in cities and towns can be gradually raised. Raise the import taxes of foreign cars. Such measures will encourage the public to use public buses rather than their own cars
- Give priority to public bus services as the main mode of public transport in Malaysia, instead of elevated light rail or mass rapid transit systems. Improving the public buses systems will be more than enough for the needs of our cities and towns, compared to elevated light rail or mass rapid transit services, which are unnecessary and much more expensive to build and run
As the population of Malaysia increases, the number of cars on the road will rise, further worsening the above problems.
So the government should implement proactive measures to improve the quality of the public bus system throughout Malaysia so that more people will use buses as their primary mode of transport.
Raveen Jeyakumar, a 29-year-old in Ipoh with an interest in environmental issues, is an Aliran volunteer
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
Buses should passed by Hot spots such as shopping malls, theme parks, hospitals.
It is very hard to get a car park in a shopping malls and hospitals.
Places like these should have more frequent buses routes..
Governments offices,
government health clinic/dental clinic also
school, colleges, university, library, sport arena, stadium ..
should have frequent bus services..
I proposed to increase ron95 to RM2.50 per litre and using the petrol subsidies savings to subsidised more buses to be on the road.
My thoughts after experiencing taking the bus. After driving my whole working life for the past 40 years, now retired I’m trying to use the rapid public bus. After using bus for 6 month, I see mainly old people seniors, foreigners, sometimes teenagers and school children using buses. Once a while only working age Malaysians. The reason is that working adults are time constrained and some routes of the buses especially non peak time takes more than an hour gap before the next bus. Thus only seniors who are not time constrain will take buses. People would not take buses unless the frequency is increase max 30 mins per wait. Also the last mile should be shorter to their house and office, perhaps using minibuses.
Public transport issues are complex; frequency, coverage, travel time, punctuality, and reliability all play a role. Town planning plays a major role here. I find it is an issue that universities can participate in finding workable solutions. Researches and studies in traffic data analysis, artificial intelligence, town planning analysis e.g. bus and LRT routes, public opinions e.g. what are the problems and what would make them use the public transport, and other themes can help in improving our urban mobility issues.
People may never use public transport as long as
THERE IS NO FREQUENT CONNECTIVITY WITH HOUSING ESTATES AND MAIN BUS ROUTES.
Studies may be waste of taxpayers’ funds perceived to reward some when the problem and solutions are facing in their face.
START BY MAKING POLITICAL LEADERS AND CIVIL SERVICE ELLITE TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR A MONTH AND THE WEAKNESSES WILL BE REALISED BY ALL which can NEVER BE REALISED BY SITTING IN A-C OFFICES.
Singapore practised this some decades ago and also provided frequent transport services between housing estates and work areas and then INCREASED THE COST OF USING OWN CARS TO MAKE IT BEYOND THE REACH OF MANY.
Learning from others does not demean anyone but needs courage.
Bless all
Good points. Perhaps we need smaller/mini buses to service the Tamans. So that people can come out and get to the main bus routes