Update: Finally, SPAD is in charge (Update #1)

Updated with SPAD’s Organizational Structure and comments & feedback from TRANSIT!

TRANSIT noted this very interesting article which indicates that the Land Public Transport Commission is now the only authority for land public transport in Peninsular Malaysia.

Ok, technically it will assume the duties on Monday, Enforcement officers will be in place starting on Sunday, 30 January 2011

[TRANSIT: How many officers will SPAD have? CVLB had 60 spread out over Malaysia. That did not turn out well.]

The end of the LPKP and the beginning of SPAD – something which TRANSIT has been pushing towards for a long time – is finally taking place.

We’re so excited, we can hardly worry about the extreme challenges that SPAD will face once it is the sole authority – because they will have to deal with recalcitrant bus and taxi operators, scammers, gangsters, politicians, drivers, Pemandu, and public transport users who just like to complain for the sake of complaining 😉 (wink)

But here’s some good news – it looks like SPAD will have the authority & power needed to encourage positive changes

several new offences concerning land public transport and powers of enforcement have been introduced, such as penalties for fraud, powers for SPAD enforcement officers to arrest offenders and to set up roadblocks. The law also enhances the penalties for offences which existed previously, such as breaches of licensing conditions where the maximum fines have been increased to RM500,000 and imprisonment of two years from a maximum fine of RM5,000 and imprisonment of one year.

TRANSIT Says:

SPAD will also be requiring bus (except tourism bus), taxi and freight operators to reregister with SPAD beginning in March 2011.

Now, we are particularly interested in the organizational structure, and we would like to give a little bit of feedback to SPAD

It’s actually pretty simple – In the Operations section (bottom left) there are 4 divisions – State Operations and Terminal Licensing, Road Public Transport, Rail, and Freight. TRANSIT would like to suggest that the road and rail divisions be replaced by an “Urban Public Transport” division & “Inter-urban public transport” division.

The reasons are simple:

• we feel that Urban Public Transport (which encompasses stage bus, shuttle bus/taxi, feeder bus, and rail) is very complicated and cannot be separated into discrete rail & road divisions.
• Urban public transport also has a different scope and set of challenges & responsibilities that distinguish it from “inter-urban public transport”
• In addition, this separation is reflective of the past with the CVLB & Department of Railways – and we believe that SPAD needs to move forward, not maintain the existing structures.
• Finally, the Urban Public Transport Division can eventually become the home of SPAD’s representatives to the various Local Public Transport Authority that TRANSIT has proposed to organize and manage public transport at the local level (assuming that SPAD & the government accept that proposal).

In any case, we truly wish the people at SPAD well and hope that they are prepared for the challenge. For information on SPAD, including contact information, click here.

TRANSIT: Please note, the information at the link above has now been updated, thanks to a comment from SPAD on 31 January 2011. We appreciate the update.

You can also follow SPAD Chair Syed Hamid Albar on Twitter @SyedHamidAlbar (note: we suggest the following hashtags #kltrains #klbus #SPAD #LTC).

An article from The Star is included below:

LPTC now the single authority for land transport (The Star)

Sunday January 30, 2011

PETALING JAYA: The Land Public Transport Commission (LPTC) is now officially the single authority to carry out the transformation and continuous improvement of the country’s land public transportation.

It will become fully operational tomorrow after the Land Public Transport Act 2010 comes into force.

[TRANSIT: Today or tomorrow – as long as it happens!]

LPTC chief executive officer Mohamad Nur Ismal Kamal said the Commission would absorb the current functions of the Department of Railways, Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board and the Tourism Ministry’s vehicle licensing functions for Peninsular Malaysia.

He said that with immediate effect too, all land public transportation licensing issues would be handled by LPTC.

“However, until further notice, all licensing will continue to be conducted at the same location as before,” he said in a statement.

Mohamad Nur Ismal also said LPTC officers would be working alongside the Road Transport Department and police to check on public transportation operations to ensure all laws concerning land public transport are observed.

[TRANSIT: Can they work separately too?]

“LPTC officers have the power to detain, fine and address concerns pertaining to fraud, soliciting or touting, breach of licence conditions, disorderly or offensive behaviour, amongst others, specific to land public transportation,” he said.

[TRANSIT: The question is, how many officers are there and how ready are they to use their authority?]

Among its initial tasks, is the planning and implementation of the RM36bil Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit project.

TRANSIT Says:

Goodbye CVLB. Enjoy Sabah & Sarawak for as long as you are there.