PETALING JAYA: While road safety experts and environmentalists encourage people to use public transport to reduce traffic congestion and environmental pollution, many prefer not to rely on it for various reasons.
Universiti Putra Malaysia Road Safety Research Centre head Assoc Prof Dr Law Teik Hua said most individuals do not like to use public transport such as buses and trains because they consider them to be inefficient, unreliable, unpunctual and crowded.
“People prefer to use private vehicles because they find it inconvenient to wait at bus and train terminals in hot weather.”
Law also urged public transport operators to be more aggressive in ensuring safety to instil confidence in commuters.
He said people choose to use their own vehicles to avoid sexual harassment and pickpocketing.
“Perhaps, the government should consider lowering public transport fares to make them more cost-effective than using private vehicles.
“Construction of new expressways and urban highways should also be avoided unless urgently needed because they will encourage greater use of private vehicles.”
Angela James, 26, who travels to work daily by Keretapi Tanah Melayu, said trains and platforms are always crowded, and she is forced to wait longer to board a less crowded train.
She also expressed concern about being infected with Covid-19, since social distancing is almost impossible while commuting by train.
“I am worried that I’ll get infected with Covid-19 because many people do not follow the standard operating procedures.
“It is also not fair to those who have waited long for a train as many don’t queue up and most rush to board trains before the doors close.”
She added that although the arrival time of trains are announced, more often than not they do not arrive according to the stated time.
A Light Rail Transit (LRT) passenger Saidatul Nabilah, 29, said that taking public transport is inconvenient for her as there is no train station close to her house.
“Not all housing areas have access to public transport.
“To take the LRT, I still have to drive to the station and find parking, which is challenging and time-consuming.”
Lynn Belinda, 27, who used to travel to work by Rapid KL buses, said she has been driving to her office since last year because buses do not arrive on time.
She said arriving late for work had affected her professional reputation.
“Sometimes, buses come on time, but I can’t board them because of long queues. I think there should be proper schedules and more trains and buses put into service, especially in the Klang Valley.”
