KUALA LUMPUR – Transport Minister Anthony Loke has gone on another surprise visit, this time to the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) line and Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS), to experience issues faced by public transportation users.
In a Facebook post, Loke said he took the KTMB train from KL Sentral to Bandar Tasik Selatan with two of his aides today.
“I received a lot of feedback from social media (users) on KTMB’s service and about problems printing entrance passes for bus rides at TBS,” he said.
“I understand that KTMB is facing various operational constraints caused by upgrading works on KVDT1 (Klang Valley Double Track Electrification Phase 1) which have yet to be completed and the interrupted KVDT2.”
He added that besides plans to meet with KTM management authorities soon to discuss ways to improve the train’s efficiency, he also intends to engage with TBS officials on how to handle the large crowds which swarm the city centre’s main public transport hub over the weekends and during holiday seasons.
A few days ago, Twitter users had taken to the platform to express their frustrations over TBS’s apparently inefficient system, with several claiming that bus tickets printed online had to be printed out first before passengers could board their ride.
They also alleged that only seven counters had been opened on a weekend during peak hours, causing some travellers to miss their buses.
Last week, Loke, who is also DAP secretary-general, conducted an undercover operation on the LRT Kelana Jaya line to see for himself the congestion experienced by commuters during rush hour.
“I did not inform the management of (LRT operators) Prasarana and the media, because I wanted to personally experience the actual situation faced by normal commuters to feel what they went through every day.”
Prior to Loke’s appointment as transport minister in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s cabinet, the KTMB Employees’ Union had expressed its hope that Anwar would consider appointing the Seremban MP to the position.
Its president Abdul Razak Md Hassan said the support for Loke was based on his track record while helming the ministry from May 2018 to February 2020. – The Vibes, December 15, 2022
