First thing first

Board wants transport plans

KUALA LUMPUR: No new bus permit will be issued until the local authority of the area draws up a local transport plan and lodges it with the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board.

Entrepreneurial and Corporative Development Minister Datuk Khaled Nordin said this move would help arrest the decline of public transport in the country, especially in urban areas like Penang and Johor Baru.

Speaking at the launch of Rapid KL's City Shuttle bus service at KL Sentral here yesterday, he said local transport plans would reflect the transport needs of the residents in a particular area.

The board could then issue permits to ensure the needs of commuters were met.

“We admit that all along we have been approving bus permits which were not in accordance with the planning by local authorities.

“This is why we have decided that all local authorities need to draw up transport plans and present them to the board before new permits are approved,” he said.

Khaled said Penang was the only area besides the Klang Valley which had drawn up a transport plan.

“The board is in the process of discussing with the bus operators there to implement a new public transport system in the state,” he said, adding that a solution should be found for Penang by next month.

He said Rapid KL, which was set up by the Government as part of the public transport revamp in the Klang Valley, was a good model for other urban areas like Penang and Johor Baru to follow.

Later, Khaled said the policy on local transport plans was accepted by all states during a recent meeting with the mentris besar and chief ministers.

“It is up to the local authorities to draw up the plans but if they don't do it, the public transport service in their area will deteriorate further,” he said.

On Rapid KL’s plan to revamp the public transport network in the Klang Valley, Khaled said his ministry would try to streamline the network with existing operators.

“We understand that there is some overlapping of routes and we also know that only a company which can provide a complete and good service will be able to survive such competition.

“It is not our intention to see other operators adversely affected by this, which is why we would like to discuss coordination of bus routes with them.

“If they don't want to cooperate, it will be their problem,” he said - The Star.