KUALA LUMPUR – The light rail transit accident on Monday night, which sent 64 passengers to hospital, threatens to rattle the people’s confidence in Malaysia’s public transportation system, said a transport safety expert.
Assoc Prof Law Teik Hua told The Vibes that the ongoing investigation will be vital in ensuring any loss of confidence can be addressed via proper explanation and solutions to prevent a recurrence of the tragedy.
He said the attention it has garnered means there is no room for Prasarana Malaysia Bhd to sweep the matter under the carpet.
“The people will have lost confidence in our public transport because of this. It is very bad.
“If it is not handled properly, I can see many users deciding to stop using the LRT, unless they have another choice, of course.”
In the incident near the KLCC station involving the Kelana Jaya line, 213 people were on board a train cruising on auto mode when it crashed into an off-service railcar being operated manually by a Prasarana personnel member.
The LRT operator, in a statement yesterday, said six people are in critical condition at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, three of whom require ventilators. Another 15 are in semi-critical condition, and 43 sustained non-critical injuries.
The accident is being investigated under Section 201 of the Land Public Transport Act 2010 for a wilful act or omission endangering passengers.
Prasanara chairman Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman has promised a RM1,000 compensation for all victims.
At a press conference yesterday, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said initial investigations pointed to human error as the driver had led the empty train on the wrong track, causing the collision.
Law said the fact that there were no fatalities and the physical damage was not bad indicates the train’s control and object-detection system was working, and had likely triggered the emergency brakes.
This leaves human or hardware failure as the possible cause of the crash, he said.
Tribunal for public transport
Meanwhile, Public Transport Users’ Association (4PAM) president Ajit Johl said the accident highlights the dire need for a public transportation tribunal for passenger safety and security.
“Where is the transparency? If the Transport Ministry, Land Public Transport Agency and operator (Prasarana) sit and discuss, who plays the role of watchdog?” he told The Vibes, urging that commuters be included in the tribunal.
He said this is not the first time a crash involving one of the country’s public transport services has occurred, but noted that nothing has changed to date.
“When express bus accidents take place, the same thing appears to happen; everybody walks away scot-free, except the users.”
The LRT crash could have been avoided had certain measures been taken previously, he said, but did not comment further, pending a full probe into the matter.
In a separate statement to the press, Ajit urged Prasarana to provide an assurance that medical treatment of the injured passengers is given the highest priority, and that all victims are adequately compensated. – The Vibes, May 26, 2021
