Meanwhile in Ipoh…After a few missteps on public transport Ipoh Council begins a move forward

TRANSIT took note of this news from Ipoh, where Ipoh City Council is looking to reorganize and improve its focus on public transport services. As is typical we see bluster and calls for enforcement but little about the structural problems within the public transport industry.

Ipoh Council to ensure public service vehicles are better organized (The Star, 22 April 2014)
Ipoh Council to ensure public service vehicles are better organised

BY TOON KIT YI

THE Ipoh City Council has been given the green light to enforce the Land Public Transport Act 2010 to ensure a properly managed public transport system in the city.

Perak Public Utilities, Infrastructure, Energy and Water Committee chairman Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin said the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has allowed the city council to do so and to take action on any violations that was deemed unlawful under the Act. [TRANSIT: Essentially this means that Ipoh Council has declared itself to be a local public transport organizing authority. The question is, will it be able to provide all the functions that a local public transport organizing authority needs to be able to provide?]

“The enforcement of the act, which monitors all public service vehicles, including freight through road and rail, is vital in ensuring that the country’s public transport system will be systematic and well-organised,” he said after a briefing on the Act at the city council headquarters recently.

TRANSIT Says:

We are always happy when a local government authority takes on the responsibility for public transport and hope that Ipoh Council will be able to assume the necessary responsibilities of a local public transport organizing authority. It’s more complicated than just increased enforcement and pushing buses off the streets and into bus terminals.

The structural problems within the public transport industry itself must be addressed in order for public transport to reach its full potential and become an efficient, effective and reliable option for 40-50% of Malaysians.

TRANSIT appreciates the effort and calls on all Councils to take up their responsibility for public transportation by ensuring they have the administrative structure to support these duties, and working with SPAD, state governments and other stakeholders to develop public transport organization, management and service plans.

In this way we will finally start to see the improvements we have so long waited for.

As always your comments and feedback are welcomed.