LETTER | This is the question some members of the public are now deliberating as the state government is working on the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

Many views have been shared from various perspectives, for instance, on construction and operational costs, ridership, safety, traffic efficiency and others. What I find lacking is the passengers' comfort debate. Which mode of public transport is the most comfortable?

I decided to find out by commuting on different modes of public transport in the Klang Valley.

I started with the LRT to USJ7 then I switched to the Sunway BRT until Setia Jaya to transfer to the KTM Komuter to KL Sentral. Then I took the monorail to Bukit Bintang before changing to the new Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train.

So in one day, I experience the five different modes; the LRT, BRT, Komuter, monorail and MRT.

Here's my take on each mode, starting with the one with the most comfortable seats.

Seats: KTM Komuter has the best seating. The chairs have good back support with headrests. None of the other modes has this. Komuter chairs are also cushioned and clean.

The LRT, MRT, and monorail have similar plastic seats. The BRT uses the regular Rapid bus sponge chairs.

Given that BRT jerks a lot, its chair is the most uncomfortable with passengers' necks aching after a while. The KTM Komuter is also quite jerky but the chair's high back support helps.

Ride comfort: In terms of ride comfort, the BRT is the worst. The inertia when the bus accelerates and stops often throws standing passengers back and forth and when it turns, we are thrown to the side, honing our balancing skill along the way.

Even though the BRT moves on a dedicated bus lane, there are many yellow transverse bars painted on the road, nudging BRT driver to slow down and thus making the ride bumpy at many points.

In comparison, LRT, MRT and monorail passengers don't feel much of the inertia when the train accelerates and stops. While both the LRT and MRT turn smoothly, the monorail tends to tilt when turning.

The monorail, however, seems not well maintained. It looks dilapidated compared to the advanced monorail such as BYD's unmanned SkyRail launched in Yinchuan, China, early this year.

Passengers who like to read or work on their phone when commuting will like the LRT and MRT. They give the least discomfort to those with car sickness.

The Komuter's railway track makes the ride more jerky than the LRT and MRT but less than the BRT. Compared to the Komuter and BRT, the LRT and MRT are smooth rides.

The LRT carriage is slightly smaller than the MRT's but it doesn't lack in comfort.

Stations: The MRT station is the best compared to the rest. It's air-conditioned, clean, informative and spacious. The quality of the MRT station sets it apart from the other transports' station. Seemingly, more expensive as well.

In term of efficiency, KTM doesn't score that well. The Komuter has the longest waiting time, at 35 minutes between trains to KL Sentral.

KTM's ticketing system then requires passengers to buy a RM5 card that cannot be returned and refunded. The card costs more than my RM3 trip. None of the other transport modes requires this needless charge.

For Penang, I wouldn't want the BRT as it's jerky, bumpy, and uncomfortable just like regular buses. We cannot have KTM's Komuter as it takes up much road space with its railway track.

The best would be a combination of the MRT with Komuter seats installed and the cosy, underground stations. That would deliver a splendid commuting experience for Penang. That's, however, just too expensive.

What comes the closest would be the LRT with a uniquely own design for Penang. Or Yinchuan's advanced monorail but I wouldn't know if it is as good as an LRT.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.