KUALA LUMPUR – The Klang Valley may be under the movement control order (MCO) as part of the government’s efforts to combat Covid-19, but concerns are surfacing as to its effectiveness as some rail lines are still filled to the brim during rush hour.
The Vibes received several concerning pictures of a crowded KL Monorail train with passengers not observing social distancing as they make their way home for the day.
The sender of the images, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was shocked by the number of people allowed to enter the trains at one time.
He also pointed out several flaws in the standard operating procedure (SOPs) during his 20-minute journey from Titiwangsa to KL Sentral about 5.15pm.
Firstly, he noted that there was no one to control crowds at the platforms of most of the stations along the way.
“There were only temperature checks and contact-tracing scans at the entry of the stations.”
He added that for the trains, there were no clear markings on the seats to ensure social distancing, and it was the same with the floor.
“It does not make sense if we can only travel with two people in a car at one time, but dozens of people lump up together on public transport. What is the whole point of the car restriction then?”
The passengers, he said, appeared to be a “fair mix” of people of various occupations, but he also noticed a high number of foreign construction workers.
“I was a little scared because many clusters are related to work sites.”
The sender expressed doubt that many of the passengers were frontliners, owing to their lack of uniform, but it is also hard to determine whether they work in other sectors allowed to operate during the MCO.
The high number of commuters on public transport also raises the question of whether employers are abiding by the government's directive to allow staff to work from home.
Another contact told The Vibes today that he was disappointed that his wife still needed to be present at the office when her job can be done remotely.
“Some employers still have trust issues and insist staff to come in to work, even when there is a Covid-19 case detected in the office.”
In October, The Vibes had reported on SOPs being ignored on public transportation.
The checks carried out then found that light rail transit (LRT) commuters were not adhering to social-distancing during the morning rush hour.
Like those on the monorail line in recent days, there were no seats marked with an “X” signage to encourage distancing, and questions remain as to whether the handlebars hanging from above are sanitised regularly – if at all.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends keeping a minimum 1m distance between people to prevent the virus from spreading through coughs, sneezes or speech.
The crowd on the monorail, however, gives the impression that daily life has returned to pre-Covid normalcy, with straphangers huddled in the narrow enclosures.
At that time, daily cases were below 1,000 but the figure has since more than tripled.
Back then, LRT operator Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, which also runs the KL Monorail, insisted in October that the company is adhering to advisories and instructions set by the government to reduce the risk of infections.
A Health Ministry official told The Vibes such SOPs fall under the purview of other agencies, such as the Transport Ministry and National Security Council, with enforcement by the police.
The Vibes has also reached out to Prasarana for comment but has yet to receive a response at press time. – The Vibes, January 19, 2021
