KUALA LUMPUR – Rail line commuters continue to find themselves frustrated more than usual now as they face unusually long queues at major stations in the city.
Checks done by The Vibes yesterday saw several stations along the Kelana Jaya Light Rail Transit (LRT) line – primarily along the Masjid Jamek, Pasar Seni and KL Sentral stations – in full swing during the morning rush hour, between 7am to 8.30am, as Malaysians began to head back to work in physical offices.
However, the situation was more severe at the Pasar Seni station, as long lines greeted rail commuters the moment they arrived.
The queue began just right after transiting commuters stepped off the escalators from the Pasar Seni Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station.
They were met with auxiliary police who were gatekeeping the crowd to ensure that the LRT platform above them was not overwhelmed by sheer numbers where it would impose a danger to the public.
Things were especially frustrating for a 24-year-old marketing executive – who only wished to be known as Mohd Ilham – who crassly criticised the situation just as he stepped off the MRT Pasar Seni station escalator.
“F*** my life!” he said out loud, drawing some light laughter and nodding from the crowd.
Ilham is a new hire at a digital marketing firm that recently recalled all of its staff to return to the office after nearly two years of hybrid working conditions.
“I don’t mind coming to the office. Being the new guy, it is easier to communicate with my team. But my company also enforces strict working hours.
“I have to be there before 8.30am or risk getting my salary deducted.
You can imagine how frustrating this is… walking to a freaking long queue just to get on the platform, enduring another 20 mins of wait and another 20 mins to my workplace,” he said, adding that the company he works for is based in Kelana Jaya.
“There were too many close calls before this, as in mere minutes, before I was considered to be coming in late. Seriously, how early do you have to wake up just to catch the train and be at work on time if the service you use is so unpredictable and sometimes unreliable?” he questioned.
The newbie stated this has been the situation for the past month, but things have gotten more severe in recent weeks as more and more people opted to use public transportation.
“So, instead of facing back-to-back traffic jams in the morning, you have people like me, rakyat marhaen (common folk) jam-packed like sardines in steel metal tubes,” he joked.
Yesterday, The Vibes had reported commuters venting their frustration online over long queues at both MRT and LRT stations.
Netizens pointed out that the long wait time, between five to six minutes, is causing congestion at the stations.
Checks done by The Vibes at several MRT stations show that while there was slight crowd congestion during the morning rush, there were barely any queues for people heading into the trains.
More four-coach trains, please!
The problem faced by the LRT line, on the other hand, is that there are two types of trains – a four-coach train and a two-coach train, which take turns picking up commuters.
Therefore, even though the trains arrive at the platforms every five minutes, passengers still face congestion at the station due to limited space in the two-coach train.
Auxiliary police present at the stations had done their best to facilitate the crowd and often urged people to make way for outgoing passengers before allowing other commuters onboard the train.
Another commuter, Elise Choong, 37, expressed the hope that Prasarana would look into either increasing the frequency of the trains or use four train coaches for the LRT line.
“I notice that they often switch between two and four train coaches. Everyone is just eager to be the first one in each time a train comes. I pity the old and the disabled who had to endure this.
Not to mention the risk for female passengers who are all jammed packed into these coaches. No doubt it is frustrating, as there are many safety issues involved. This is not just about time… but what can we do but complain and endure?” she asked.
An employee familiar with the LRT and MRT services said the congestion is expected, as public transport is the most optimum means of commuting.
He explained that more and more people are heading back into physical offices – including new entries into the workforce – seeing that the nation is transitioning out of the pandemic.
“We are well aware of the complaints and have embarked on a series of improvements to resolve all these issues, but it will take a bit of time. At least for now, we are constantly working hard to ensure that the passengers are safe,” said the employee.
Last month, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said the Kelana Jaya LRT line, which has been in operation since 1998, will be undergoing mid-life refurbishment involving some RM800 million.
Wee explained that the refurbishment will involve level four maintenance, repair and overhaul of the 28 sets of 818 series trains, which is a crucial process to extend the trains’ lifespan.
Similarly, the government would also receive 19 new types of trains in the fourth quarter of next year for the Kelana Jaya route.
The Kelana Jaya LRT line serves around 350,000 passengers daily. – The Vibes, June 16, 2022
