The Public Land Transportation Commission (Spad) has suspended the service of Monorel Melaka, the second time in one month due to a technical glitch in the automatic handling system.

Chief operating officer Azhar Ahmad said the directive issued on Nov 30 was to ensure the safety of passengers comprising Malaysians and foreign tourists.

“Monorel Melaka operates using an automated system although it has a driver’s seat. Manual operation with the driver is only used in an emergency and during maintenance testing,” he said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today.

Azhar said the monorail service was suspended on Nov 1 when the doors malfunctioned, forcing two British tourists to alight with the help of firemen.

“Spad allowed Melaka Taming Sari Berhad to resume operations on Nov 24 after almost all safety conditions were followed.”

“However, the monorail operator has yet to comply with Spad’s directive to put thermoplastic paint on the rail and thus can't operate when it rains.”

He said that Spad has to think about public safety and how to restore public confidence in the monorail service.

“So Spad has directed Melaka Taming Sari to suspend the monorail service until improvements are made with the help of suppliers from China.”

- Bernama