Updates #63

Updates #63

1. Article: NGOs: Expect more deadly bus accidents (Malay Mail) – NGOs called for long term solutions, not knee-jerk reactions to tackle bus accidents. This was in response to the CVLB’s suspension of licenses owned by the companies involved in the recent Genting Sampah (Syarikat Taipan Suria MM2H Sdn. Bhd.) and Sg. Ampat (Sykt. Kuala Lumpur Malacca Express Sdn. Bhd. [a.k.a. Express Delima]) bus crashes.

TRANSIT: The irony is that the CVLB was not aware that the company had chosen to outsource (pajak or pawn) their permits to other parties – but then, the CVLB always seemed to be more interested in centralizing the control of the distribution of permits (and enriching rent seekers) than in actually enforcing its own regulations – and even if it wanted to, the CVLB never had the personnel to enforce these regulations.

Can we expect more from SPAD?

2. Article: Commuters, Syed Hamid back public transport plan (Malay Mail) – Finally, Chief of SPAD talks on having a ‘master’ masterplan.

3. Article: Public Transport Master Plan to ease traffic in Penang (The Sun) – Penang’s Chief says it is time to have a masterplan. TRANSIT Says: Oops, is this going to be the ‘slave’ masterplan, subservient to SPAD’s ‘master’ masterplan?

4. Article: Alternative Bus Transit Solution to Rapid Penang’s BEST (Malaysia Today) – Mr Ong Eu Soon wrote to suggest solution to congestion in Penang, especially on the Penang Bridge.
TRANSIT Says: Well written!

5. Article: Transport to go cashless (The Star) – The state government is mulling to have cashless payment system for all public transport modes in Kuching, including water taxis.

5. Article: Electrified railway line from Ipoh to Padang Besar 57% complete (The Star) – The Electrified Double Tracking Project from Ipoh to Padang Besar is more than half complete.

6. Article: Penang orders halt to rail track project (the Star) – the Penang government has issued a stop-work order on the Penang segments of the Ipoh-Padang Besar Electrification & Double Tracking (EDT) project as a pre-emptive safety move in response to flooding in Kedah and other parts of the Northern Corridor Economic Region.