Parked buses, bad planning add to Rawang jam

TRANSIT takes note of this article which reflects exactly what will happen when government bureaucracy screws things up.

In this case, the new and unopened Rawang bus and taxi terminal is becoming a sore issue – perhaps responding to the lack of action, the bus drivers are assuming that they can act in any way they please?

Parked buses add to jam (Streets-NST)
3 May 2010

RAWANG: Bus operators have turned a main road here into an illegal bus stand.

The old Rawang trunk road which bypasses the town leading to Kuala Lumpur from the north is posing a danger to motorists and pedestrians as stage buses are parked along the road.

The bus operators have been operating the stop to drop off and pick up passengers since last December.

“It has now become an illegal bus stop for Metrobus and SJ buses which pose a risk to motorists travelling along this busy road. Accidents have also occurred when these buses swerve out,” said S. Billy, 48, a resident who uses the road daily.

He said pedestrians are put at risk especially during peak hours as they have to cross the busy road to wait for the buses on the other side of the road.

S. Devaki, 22, who uses the bus to travel to the city, said: “I live in Bandar Country Homes and have to take a feeder bus to Rawang which stops at the old Rawang bus station. I have to walk close to 500m uphill to go to the new bus terminal.

“To save time, the (illegal) stop, located in front of the McDonald’s here, is closer and more convenient as it’s less than 100m from the old station.”

The old bus station in Jalan Maxwell is no longer in use and the new terminal is not fully operational.

[TRANSIT: ARRRRRGGGHHHH. Say it again. ARRRGGGHHH. Why would the council close one terminal before the new one was opened? This is not exactly rocket science!]

The bus operators seem to have taken advantage of this situation as the bus routes for the local stage buses have not been resolved. Although the bus operators have been allotted the lay-by at the new terminal, the illegal stop seems to be a better option.

A Metrobus station manager, who only wanted to be known as Rosman, said it was more convenient for the public to be picked up and dropped off at the illegal stop.

Asked on the danger posed by these buses to motorists, he said that they had no choice as there was insufficient space at the new terminal for buses to park.

Rawang assemblyman Gan Pei Nei said: “The new Rawang Bus Terminal will be fully operational in June. We urge the public not to use the illegal stop but to use the feeder bus services to the new terminal.”

She said the new bus terminal will be operational soon once the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (CVLB) approved the proposed new bus routes.

[TRANSIT: You see why the CVLB has outstayed its welcome?]

On April 27, Selayang Municipal Council president Datuk Zainal Abidin Azim had stated at a meeting with CVLB, that the council had proposed for the newly-built Rawang bypass to be part of the bus routes to disperse traffic congestion, a longstanding problem in Rawang.

Zainal said discussions were still on-going with CVLB.

TRANSIT Says:

Forgive us if we scream a little bit more! Because, articles like this make us wonder if our advocacy of a local government presence in the planning, organization and management of public transport services is simply too premature.

If a local council can close one bus terminal while the other one was not fully operational – can they be trusted to manage anything? It seems that what is happening in Rawang is even worse than what is happening with the Klang Municipal Council (Klang Sentral) – no wonder Rawang may be an immediate priority for SPAD.

The CVLB is not helping either – why has it taken so long for the permits to be redesigned to account for the new destination? And, in fact, why does each bus route have to have a permit indicating a specific terminal and destination?

CVLB lives by their permits and they will die by their permits.

And where is the state government in this?