Public transportation services in Malaysia are in ill health. There, I went ahead and said it. For those of you who do not believe that public transportation services are in ill health, please, take a look at the evidence. The list is long and sometimes tragic. If public transportation was healthy, we would not be seeing these symptoms of ill health each and every day.

If public transport were healthy, then negligent, careless, and dangerous drivers would not be plying the expressways and roads of our towns and cities, causing harm to passengers and motorists alike. If public transport were healthy, then bus drivers would be paid a decent wage and not be forced to drive trip after trip in order to get money. If public transport were healthy, then buses would be properly maintained instead of being carelessly maintained in order to get a little bit more profit.

If public transport services were healthy, bus operators would be interested in providing services rather than profiting as much as possible. If public transport were healthy, then bus operators would not be afraid of a little competition from a government-operated shuttle bus service.

If public transport were healthy, then there would be no touts or leasing of buses, and nobody would be threatening someone else with a parang. If public transport were healthy, then we could rely on any of the bus operators to provide us with safe, reliable services instead of fearing for our safety every time we board a bus.

If public transport services were healthy, then the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board and the Road Transport Department and the traffic police would be enforcing the laws, rules and regulations as they are obliged to do. If public transport were healthy, then the CVLB would not be pretending that

a) it has no ability to enforce the laws, or

b) no one actually made any reports with the proper information, and the Road Transport Department would actually be chasing down drivers who have outstanding summons.

If public transport services were healthy then Cepat (in Penang) would not planning a lawsuit against the CVLB for their inaction in Penang. If public transport were healthy then Metrobus Nationwide would not be suing the CVLB for allowing RapidKL to offer lower bus fares (and therefore, compete with Metrobus).

If public transport services were healthy, then there would be a system of subsidy that would be open and transparent. If public transport were healthy then we would know where the money given to RapidKL is going and why they cannot offer the services that they promised us back in 2006. If public transport were healthy, then the investment in public transport would be spread out throughout the country and not be spent on mega-projects (of questionable value) in the Klang Valley and Penang.

If public transport services were healthy, then the average Malaysian would be comfortable using public transport services and would see public transport as a quick, convenient and comfortable option. If public transport were healthy then Malaysians would have another choice for their own mobility, one that is affordable and reliable and safe.

If public transport were healthy then Malaysians would not be wasting their time stuck in traffic jams. Businesses would not be losing potential economic profit, and the productivity of the Malaysian economy would increase.

But public transport is not healthy. And if nothing is done about it, public transport is only going to get worse. This is why Malaysians must stop perceiving public transportation as the domain of the ‘lower income group’ and start thinking of public transportation as a tool to improve all our lives.

A healthy public transportation system will give Malaysians greater mobility. It will increase safety, reduce pollution, help the environment, build communities, and increase the productivity of Malaysian businesses.