KUALA LUMPUR – A prominent academician has called for new Transport Minister Anthony Loke to consider reviving the disbanded Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).
Prof Datuk Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah stressed that the restoration of the commission would encourage localisation of transports via planning and operation and address the gaps that exist in order to achieve the national transport policy and sustainable transport agenda.
“Bring back SPAD or a similar authority that functions like SPAD as it would also enable plans to lower carbon footprint and streamline the logistics industry,” said the transportation engineering professor and former Universiti Sains Malaysia deputy vice-chancellor.
Echoing Farhan’s opinion, former SPAD chief operating officer Qamar Wan Noor suggested that Loke conduct a thorough review to increase the modal share of public transport.
“It would be wise for the minister to do a review by inviting former SPAD executives, Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), Transport Ministry officials and academicians such as Prof Farhan.
“We should look at the model of how other countries manage public transport such as the Land Transport Authority model in Singapore as well as Taiwan, in which the federal comes with strategy and implementation at the local level, which Loke had already been briefed before SPAD was dissolved,” she added.
If the proposal to revive SPAD is not feasible, Qamar believes Loke has the capabilities to elevate APAD.
“He should also reform the Road Transport Department (RTD) and beef up the land division of the Transport Ministry,” she added.
Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, former head of policy and planning of SPAD, said Loke needs to consider recommissioning SPAD to govern the national public transport agenda.
“We have stopped progressing in this area while the country needs to have better connectivity to support economic growth,” he said.
“We need to understand the role and function played by SPAD, where SPAD has the abilities to plan, execute and enforce all public transport agenda, which also includes licensing to ensure acceptable level or service quality.”
He pointed out that the public transportation and logistics industry require a specific agency with precise human capital and reckoned that APAD doesn’t have the power and capability to formulate policies.
“Formulating land public transportation policies is a huge challenge,” he said.
“We need an agency with wide-ranged power to build a better public transportation system and be able to execute the agenda, which normally involves multiple agencies, ministries, even governments at state and local council level.”
Wan Agyl, who possesses an academic background in urban and regional planning, transportation planning and transportation studies, claims that many personnel in the Transport Ministry and APAD “do not possess the right qualifications and skill set to formulate policies and execute the agenda”.
“It’s not their fault because this is a very niche area. RTD on the other hand only focuses on technicalities and the provisions do not concern the public transportation performance and service qualities,” said Wan Agyl.
“We still need RTD for their expertise and SPAD too but not APAD.
“If the issues in dissolving SPAD back then was because the commission was under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Office, then I would suggest that SPAD be under the Transport Ministry to address the governance issue since we have other commissions in some ministries,” he explained. – The Vibes, December 4, 2022
