No more traffic jams? The goose with the golden eggs strikes again
YOURSAY | ‘Before the eggs are laid, they are already counting the chickens.’
Goodbye KL traffic jams in 2017, hello congestion charges?
Vijay47:
Whenever the authorities come out with these clever ideas to make life better for us, I start getting the shivers. That is because we've all been there, done that.
At face value, everything looks so wonderful - entry charges into the city, less parking space, and hey presto! driving in Kuala Lumpur becomes a breeze! But knowing life in Malaysia, what is the reality?
The contract for monitoring traffic inflow will be award to a crony, at an obscenely inflated amount of course, and within weeks we will hear of insurmountable problems justifying why the company cannot carry out its obligations. And incredibly, it would be awarded more fees!
Does anybody remember the ‘traffic lights compliance’ system we had about 20 years ago? The company in question was paid about RM1 for each lights-jumper detected and within weeks enforcement was stopped as there were simply too many offenders.
But fees were still payable to the company. The goose with the golden eggs strikes again.
Anonymous #70881335: To force people by imposing hefty charges is wrong. Just improve the public transport system until it is so good that nobody would like to drive. Using carrot is better than the cane.
What happens when the hefty charges are imposed, and the public transport system is still bad or inefficient? Going by past records, I am a pessimist.
Truth Really Hurts: I recall in the early 70s there was a plan to introduce a road pricing scheme. They even built gantries in certain parts of the city as a precursor to the scheme.
Alas, it was a harebrained scheme to give contracts out to cronies then. What is so different now?
Eyespye: There is a lot of negative comments about this move. I see it as a positive proposal and the right thing to do provided:
1) There is an efficient MRT and LRT service linkage in strategic areas;
2) There are efficient feeder bus services to outlying MRT stations;
3) There is adequate parking in said outlying MRT stations to facilitate taking the train to work;
4) That MRT/LRT services are priced reasonably; and
5) There must be a consolidated LRT/MRT service, like in Singapore - no more nonsense like Putra, Star and whatnot. One authority, one integrated rail service.
I think Singapore's ERP (Electronic Road Pricing) system is fantastic, and should be implemented in Kuala Lumpur, but only if the above conditions can be fulfilled.
Anonymous 701731441687485: Spot on @Eyespe. I would only add that together with the transport system you state, the improvement of pedestrian and cycling facilities in congested areas in the city.
You can move more people in and out of the city if the people have a realistic option to leave their cars at home or farther away.
The congestion charge is good and necessary goal to work toward to, but not until we have a decent public transport in place.
Ruslan Bahari: Yes, it’s positive move, but the existence of a world-class park-and-ride system must be put in place first. It is good to note that MRT Corp is putting parking lots in many of the stations, along with a feeder bus service.
You have to empathise with them, given that they need to balance costs of building parking bays as well.
In the end, you will need:
1. An extensive rail network that links areas and interchanges with other systems well;
2. Adequate parking at stations outside the city;
3. A feeder bus service that further promotes leaving the cars behind.
Also, I am sure if parking enforcement is stricter, plenty of the bottlenecks can be reduced if not cleared up totally.
Look at Bukit Bintang, Jalan Dungun, Jalan Alor and all roads in the city. Irresponsible parking causes congestion, and the same people who complain about jams probably contribute to the situation this way, too.
Swipenter: If I’m not mistaken this was first proposed in the early 1980s. Now is 2015. Come 2017 are we going to implement it or still talk about it?
Our LRT and MRT are relatively new but the connectivity is not seamless because of cronyism. These cronies want to protect their interest first and national interest second.
Just like they are realigning the Cheras line to instead serve the uncompleted Bandar Malaysia and we know how bad the traffic congestion in the Cheras area during peak hours is.
SadMsian: What you intend to do with the funds collected? Are you channeling it back for public transport improvement?
Fateh: Before the eggs are laid, they are already counting the chickens. Are they so desperate to rob the rakyat? Bolehland is ruled by robbers who just cannot keep their hands away from the rakyat's pocket.
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