KUALA LUMPUR – It appears that commuters relying on the Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) mass rapid transit (MRT) station for their daily commute would be left cooling their heels, at least until the end of the year before any faulty escalators could be fixed.
Speaking to The Vibes, Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd said three escalator units that are not functioning – number 4,9 and 12 – at the aforementioned MRT station are caused by worn and damaged rubber handles.
As a result, Rapid Rail said escalator number 12 was closed to users on January 21 while escalator number 9 and 4 were closed on August 29 and September 4 respectively.
“Rapid Rail is working closely with contractors to speed up the delivery of spare parts from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) abroad by using air cargo services,” it told The Vibes via a statement.
“The expected completion date for escalator number 12 and 9 are at the end of December 2022 and January 2023.
“As for escalator number 4, it is still in the procurement and quotation process.”
Therefore, as an alternative, Rapid Rail advised users to take the lifts and stairs to get access to the station and its platforms.
As for commuters who have mobility problems and require assistance, they are advised to get help from the customer service officer or auxiliary police who are there.
Rapid Rail’s response came after complaints by netizens who took to social media to air their grievances about the never-ending problems with the escalator at TTDI MRT station.
On August 31, Twitter user Ezrena Marwan questioned when the broken escalator on the ground floor of the MRT station would be fixed as it has been under maintenance for months.
This has been under maintenance for months! Ground floor at TTDI MRT station. @AskRapidKL Bila siap? pic.twitter.com/ZfXxEV6WaH
— Ezrena Marwan ايزرين مروان 亞茲莉娜 瑪萬 (@ezrenamarwan) August 31, 2022
In May, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said supply chain disruption due to Covid-19 lockdown in Shanghai, China, is one of the main reasons for the maintenance delays of facilities at train stations.
He said the expected completion of maintenance and recovery of public transport facilities like lifts and escalators depended on getting the spare parts.
He reportedly said that a period of three months is required for the process of shipping spare parts from the OEM in China and Rapid Rail was closely monitoring suppliers and contractors to expedite the procurement and installation of spare parts.
In addition, he said that the spare parts supply be transported using air freights instead of waterways to cut time. – The Vibes, September 13, 2022
