It is very interesting to read that the popular shopping centre and destination Mid-Valley City is working to improve access through initiatives including improved public transport.

Mid-Valley City Gardens chief executive officer Antony Barragry says that the company is "in discussions now with KTM for another station at Abdullah Hukum and we are hoping to wrap up discussions with City Hall on the linkage to the LRT (Light Rail Transit) Abdullah Hukum stop".

What is sad is that despite the claims, the public transport improvements have been so slow, partly because the planning is taking place behind closed doors and not involving public transport users.

I believe the announcement about the bridge to Abdullah Hukum station was made years ago. Even the most recent announcement (in 2007) stated that work would start in September 2007. It is now more than a year and it appears that no work has started.

Building the link between Abdullah Hukum and Mid-Valley city has to consider improvements to the existing public transport services as well. The expansion of KTM Komuter service to three tracks is a necessary part of the construction of a station at Abdullah Hukum because it would allow a track for express trains, which would improve service along the entire network.

Also, nothing has been said about the extension of the KL Monorail to Mid-Valley although this has been talked about for years as well.

Finally, if KTM Komuter Mid-Valley has been so successful in bringing people to Mid-Valley, why is it that Mid-Valley has been reluctant to build a second connection to the station?

Sometimes I go back and wonder why Mid-Valley was not designed with an Integrated Transport Terminal (call it Klang Valley) underneath the shopping centre and office complex. Mid-Valley would be an ideal site because it would have great transport links and enough space for an integrated terminal to include LRT, bus, KTM, monorail, airport express link, and intercity coaches and taxis as well.

If the KL Sentral terminal had been located at what is now Mid-Valley city, the Brickfields area would still be a lovely neighbourhood with lots of room to grow, rather than a clogged and congested transport corridor, and the LRT network would be better integrated with the city.