MINISTER’S FOREWORD

Message by the Honourable Dato’ Seri Kong Cho Ha Minister of Transport

In the last three years, we over the next three years, we have taken some bold steps will continue to work towards to improve the urban public our goal of achieving 25% transport system in Greater public transport modal share. /Klang Valley. Though our focus will remain Extra trains were brought in in Greater Kuala Lumpur/ for the KTM Komuter service Klang Valley, we will roll out and the Kelana Jaya LRT line, a mechanism to ensure some which brought some relief to initiatives are also implemented commuters, while the opening in areas within the economic of the Integrated Transport corridors. Terminal Bandar Tasik Selatan and the refurbished Pudu We are confident that the Sentral helped to ease the measures identified under congestion in the central the GTP 2.0, when fully business district. implemented, will put us on track to provide a public While there has been some transport system that is efficient success in these areas, our work and effective, taking us closer is far from over. Commuters to becoming the high-income expect more from us. Hence, nation that we all aspire to be.

192 IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Looking back at the GTP 1.0 (2010 - 2012)

The 11 initiatives implemented in the modal share, or the percentage public transport system in Greater Kuala GTP 1.0 to improve the urban public of passenger trips utilising public Lumpur/Klang Valley, while at the same, transport (UPT) system achieved transport, to 25% from 12% remains a addressing the city’s chronic traffic significant progress in terms of adding tall order as rising affluence in the city congestion problem. The following capacity and improving accessibility leads to the continued rise in private initiatives grouped under four main and connectivity. However, the topline car ownership. However, the UPT categories of Bus, Rail, Integration and target to improve the Greater Kuala NKRA is on track to provide a reliable, Network were implemented over the Lumpur/Klang Valley public transport affordable, convenient and integrated last three years.

193 194 IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Part of the UPT strategy requires Second, the public transport system to drive the change in industry. Fifth, that initiatives put in place that must be enhanced to attract the public the NKRA plans to introduce “push” would encourage commuters to use through the enhancement of service factors that will make it less attractive public transport rather than their standards, better station integration, for the rakyat to use their private own vehicles. Building infrastructure feeder bus coverage, number of bus vehicles in areas where a public and facilities alone are insufficient in stops and better ticketing systems. transport alternative is present. effecting this change in mindset, and hence a more holistic plan must be put Third, there must be greater And finally, the development of the in place. enforcement of existing laws on heavy MRT system will greatly increase the vehicle restrictions and bus lanes capacity and connectivity of the public The UPT NKRA has identified six key to reduce congestion in the central transport network in the Greater Klang levers that would effect this change. business district. This would enhance Valley and provide a viable alternative The first is to remove the bottleneck in the efficiency of the public transport to using private vehicles for travel a transport system that is at its limits. network by ensuring that there are within the region. The UPT team has identified these fewer obstacles to navigate whilst bottlenecks, detailed in the figure traversing the city centre. below, and have proposed solutions that would help expedite travel time Fourth, the UPT NKRA proposes to and hence make public transport a restructure the regulatory framework to preferable alternative. ensure that the regulator is empowered

195 196 IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Introduction to the GTP 2.0 (2013 - 2015)

Case for change

Millions of commuters rely on public Greater Kuala Lumpur’s population is in traffic will ultimately cost the nation transport each day to get to work, expected to reach 10 million by 2020, its competitiveness. Hence, the GTP school and almost anywhere else they comprising nearly a third of ’s 2.0 will ride on the momentum built wish to go. In order to encourage the current population, making the case for by the GTP 1.0, with the primary focus use of public transport, a country’s overhauling the urban transport system on the Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang public transport system must be even more critical since the use of Valley area. However, a “watching brief” efficient and effective, and must not major roads surrounding the city centre mechanism will be rolled out to ensure be crippled by traffic congestion . is nearing capacity. The propensity some initiatives are also implemented While initiatives under the GTP 1.0 did towards private car ownership will only in other cities, particularly in key achieve some measure of success, a lot get worse if public transport continues economic corridors. more needs to be done to encourage to be inefficient and ineffective. What’s the greater use of public transport. worse, productive time lost being stuck

197 Overview

The GTP 2.0 initiatives for Urban Public reliable bus services and integrating • Aspiration 1: Increase the morning Transport will build on the momentum multiple transport modes to ensure peak ridership number to 750,000 by of the GTP 1.0, namely to reach a 25% seamless travel for commuters. A 2015 from 321,487 people in 2011. modal share for public transport in new emphasis on taxis will be added • Aspiration 2: Increase the target Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley to this NKRA that will be modelled population residing within walking during morning peak periods. This is upon international best practices. The distance (400m) of urban public expected to be achieved within the following three aspirations to deliver transport nodes to 75% from 63%. 2012-2015 framework period and will the objective of providing a reliable, • Aspiration 3: 25% of Greater KL taxis include new initiatives to improve the convenient and affordable public at par with best-in-class ASEAN cities. reliability of rail services by increasing transport system have been identified capacity and frequency, providing under the GTP 2.0 framework:

198 IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Workstreams and Initiatives

1 Buses

Three main initiatives have been identified to further improve bus services in Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley.

Initiative: Enhancement of Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley Stage Bus Network

Presently, many bus operators are operating along the same routes, thereby creating congestion in the central business district (CBD) from overlapping services and unhealthy competition. To resolve this, a systematic bus network will be implemented by rationalising the number of operators per route and by requiring that all stage buses stop at dedicated Inter Urban Transport Terminals (IUTT) located at the periphery of the CBD. Meanwhile, the area between the IUTTs and the CBD will be serviced by the newly introduced city buses that operate within the CBD only. The following sub-initiatives have been identified to support the exercise to improve the stage bus network.

• City Bus service within CBD This initiative will ensure that passengers who disembark at the various IUTTs are transported to the city centre by City Buses. Four routes have been identified for this purpose:

199 To ensure efficient transfer of passengers within the city centre, city buses must operate at high-frequency intervals of between three and five minutes during peak periods and between five and ten minutes during off-peak periods. An additional 50 buses and 115 drivers will be needed to run the service based on the headway projected. The service is expected to be launched on Feb 1, 2013 and aims to ferry at least 60,000 passengers.

• Stage bus network re-organisation and feeder bus network improvement The re-organisation of the stage bus network will involve allocating dedicated routes along five major corridors and two minor corridors to each bus operator. The routes allocated to each operator will be profitable and equitable to avoid unhealthy competition and to promote business sustainability. Key performance indicators will be set for each operator to ensure optimum and consistent service. This initiative is aimed at increasing the number of ridership to 750,000 by 2015 and will also support the objective of having 75% of the population living within 400 meters of the public transport network.

To complement this initiative, feeder services to under-served rail stations will be improved. Presently, only the Kelana Jaya LRT line has adequate feeder services, while the majority of the KTM Komuter lines have little or no feeder services at all. This exercise will commence on Feb 1, 2013.

• Bus lanes and stage bus drivers An additional 11km of bus lanes will be required within the CBD to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted city bus service, bringing the total length of bus lanes to 23km. However, without proper enforcement, bus lanes will not be able to serve their purpose. For this reason, enforcement cameras will be installed at identified hot spots and CCTV will be installed in buses, to monitor any violation of the dedicated lanes by private vehicles. SPAD will also lead a task force formed in July 2012 to look into the shortage of bus drivers. The total cost for the implementation of the additional bus lanes including enforcement measures is estimated at RM11 million.

Initiative: (BRT) Under the GTP 1.0, the Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley BRT Feasibility Study identified 12 potential BRT corridors within Klang Valley.

200 IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The pilot project, the Kuala Lumpur - Klang corridor, has already been earmarked for implementation under the GTP 1.0. In continuing this initiative, the GTP 2.0 will see the addition of three BRT corridors (Kuala Lumpur – Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur – Ampang and Kuala Lumpur – Puchong).

Initiative: Bus stop improvement A comprehensive labelling and indexing exercise will be undertaken to establish the minimum standard of bus stops, either through the building of new bus stops or upgrading of existing ones. The private sector will be invited to participate in this initiative. In Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley, the local authorities will be responsible for the improvements of 4,500 bus stops which is expected to cost RM109 million over the next three years.

201 2 Rail

The improvement of rail services will continue to be a point of emphasis in the GTP 2.0 as it is the highest utilised mode of public transport in the country. Three major initiatives will be launched under this workstream affecting each of the systems serving the Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley area, namely the inter-city KTM Komuter trains, the inter-city RapidKL Light Rail Transit and KL Monorail.

Initiative: KTM Komuter Enhancement The KTM Komuter train service, which inundated with cancellations, delays, and traction power supply. The GTP runs through the heart of the nation’s breakdowns and overcrowding. The 2.0 lab has identified several areas of capital, has been synonymous with GTP 1.0 attempted to remedy the enhancement to improve the services unreliable service. Despite it being the situation by procuring 38 new Six Car of the KTM Komuter. These are track only network carrying large volumes Set (SCS) trains for KTMB, but much rehabilitation programmes, power of commuters from large suburban needs to be done to improve its service upgrades of KTMB’s networks as well as neighbourhoods and satellite towns performance and the reliability of its upgrading of the communication and to the city centre, the service is often core systems including signalling, track electrification system.

202 IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Initiative: Kelana Jaya and Ampang LRT Line Extension Projects This initiative will address the linkages number of people living and working Kelana Jaya, with the 17km Kelana Jaya of the the high-volume Kelana Jaya and in the residential and commercial extension, including stations at the high Ampang LRT lines to other locations. areas in between, such as Puchong density Subang Jaya and USJ districts. The multi-billion ringgit line extension and Bandar Kinrara. The 17.7km long These line extension projects, which project will connect the existing Sri Ampang line extension will see the Sri are expected to be completed in 2015, Petaling LRT station to the Ampang line, Petaling station connected to 12 new will see the current morning peak daily as well as the Kelana Jaya station on the stations en route to the integrated Putra capacities of both lines increased by to Putra Heights. This Heights station. This will be connected 100,000 commuters. will facilitate the travelling of the large to another 12 new stations en route to

Initiative: KL Monorail Capacity Expansion This initiative will see the RapidKL Public Transport Master Plan drafted increased accessibility to commuters monorail doubling its fleet capacity by SPAD is also calling for the monorail there, as well as those in Bangsar, Mid to reduce bottlenecking in certain line to be further extended by 2017. Valley, and other areas currently not stations such as Hang Tuah and KL The 9km long extension will connect served by rail. This will remove the Sentral. Twelve sets of four-car monorail the Tun Sambanthan station to Taman traffic congestion that builds up from trains will be put into service by June Gembira in Jalan Klang Lama, and will the south especially along Jalan Klang 2013. A proposal under the Urban pass through up to eight new monorail Lama en route to KL Sentral. Rail Development Plant of the Land stations along the way. This will provide

203 3 Taxi The introduction of the Taxi workstream into the Urban Public Transport NKRA of the GTP 2.0 is aimed at improving the quality of service provided by taxis in Malaysia, especially in urban areas. In particular, the NKRA intends for Malaysian taxis to provide services that are on par with the best in other ASEAN countries. The selection of ASEAN as a yardstick is far from arbitrary as taxi services in those countries have overcome a number of challenges and hurdles in the form of licensing and vehicle standards regulation, driver training, enforcement and customer expectations.

The Taxi Transformation Plan outlined by SPAD, the regulator of the taxi industry, and the GTP 2.0 Lab benchmarked local taxi services with those in cities such as and London, and found that the primary gap was in the current business environment and a lack of enforcement and monitoring of the industry. Based on these findings, the taxi workstream proposes two initiatives aimed at bringing about a catalytic change to the industry.

204 IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Initiative: Centralised Taxi Service System (CTSS) This comprehensive system is In addition to enforcement, taxi expected to enhance the enforcement operators will also be able to leverage and monitoring capabilities of the the increased connectivity of the industry regulators and operators of current taxi fleet through the various taxi fleets. The initiative, drawn from call centres. Currently, call centres only international best practices, provides report a 40% success rate in meeting an end-to-end process from guidelines bookings of passengers and this is to the penalty system to an effective largely due to a lack of economies of public communications plan. With the scale. The system is expected to reduce establishment of the Centralised Taxi the number of offences related to non- Service System, adequate surveillance meter compliance, reckless driving, can be conducted to gather evidence to operating a taxi without a valid licence prosecute committed offences. and more.

Initiative: New Taxi business model The new business model is aimed facilities in Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang at ensuring taxi drivers take home Valley to devise attractive packages that increased earnings by reducing their draw on economies of scale. In addition, operating cost, which is the root cause SPAD will also conduct engagements of their problem. Lab engagements with with car manufacturers for a leasing the taxi drivers found that their two cost option to reduce the amount of pressures were vehicle maintenance and downpayment for car loans upon financing packages. SPAD will continue renewal of vehicle permits. to engage with repair and maintenance

205 4 Integration

The best transport systems in the world are the ones which are the most integrated. With this in mind, the Integration workstream contains a number of initiatives that will better integrate the existing facilities. The approach emulates the movement of passengers from point of origin to destination and returning to the point of origin (first mile-last mile journey).

First-mile pull factors refer to the the Parkway Drop-zone (PD), which cars are given a maximum of two first pull for public transport, or in aims to better integrate the existing minutes to pick up passengers by other words, the means by which the infrastructure such as the provision the roadside, which encourages car- commuter gets to the public transport of bus stops with covered walkways, pooling. The implementation of the facility by, for instance, walking, biking, pedestrian linkages for passengers to PD here, however, will be tailored to or by taking a bus. get to a station, or transit facilities for incorporate rail-bus integration along bus or taxi passengers to board trains. major highways with high-roofed bus A number of initiatives will be stops, covered walkways and linkages implemented to improve the facilities PDs are similar to the “kiss-and- for pedestrians. Several existing rail that commuters will encounter in ride” systems that are in place in stations located along major highways their first mile. The first of these is other countries. In this system, have been identified as suitable for

206 IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

the implementation of PD. These are system itself. One initiative that will from the first mile have increased the Batu Tiga and Setia Jaya KTM be implemented is Station Upgrades mobility, safety and comfort. Studies Komuter stations, the Asia Jaya and to cater for a greater number of show that many commuters prefer Universiti RapidKL Light Rail Transit commuters. Many public transport walking from their public transport stations along the Federal Highway, stations lack congruence between station, especially in the central the Kelana Jaya RapidKL Rail Transit their capacity and their ridership and business district. There are a number station and Puchong KTM Komuter require immediate upgrading works. of skywalks and pedestrian linkages in station along the Damansara-Puchong Some of these stations include the existence in Kuala Lumpur, but some Highway, as well as the Serdang and Klang, Serdang, Shah Alam, Nilai, Port suffer from poor integration between Razak Mansion KTM Komuter stations Klang, Rawang, Putra, UKM, Setia Jaya, different public transport systems, along the Besraya Highway. The PDs will and Batu Tiga KTM Komuter stations. lack of protection from the weather incorporate Park-n-Ride (PnR) facilities Automated fare collection (AFC) and lack comfort and safety. New given their popularity. A number of systems will also be integrated to skywalks and pedestrian linkages will public transport stations have been provide seamless journeys for be built under this initiative to provide identified as ideal for PnR facilities to transiting passengers. greater integration between public either be built or developed further. transport systems. These have been Last mile enablers refer to the provision identified as the Pudu Sentral Skywalk, Mid-mile attractions are actual services of more facilities to ensure passengers the Bandaraya Skywalk and the and capacity of the public transport who are already on public transport Wangsawalk pedestrian linkage.

207 5 Travel Demand Management

Under this initiative, the GTP 2.0 aims to encourage the use of public transport over private vehicles through the following two measures:

Initiative: Parking Control and Management A staggering three million cars enter more competitive rate; reducing the These measures are necessary and will Kuala Lumpur city centre daily, causing number of parking bays within 200m indirectly encourage the use of public congestion as a result of over-capacity. of transit stations and to convert these transport. It is expected that some The Parking Control and Management spaces for public use such as effective 40,000 new public transport users will initiative will review the city hall’s pedestrian walkways; and the overall be introduced per month under this on- and off-street parking rates in the strengthening of parking enforcement initiative. Kuala Lumpur city centre ensuring a within the central business district.

Initiative: Journey Planner A journey planner provides travel by setting up an integrated one-stop interchanges and routes which require information across all public transport journey planner across all modes by minimum walking. The last stage will operators, with a set of travel options providing static information such see the offering of the journey planner for current and future users. This will as routes, travel fare and schedule/ on smart phones. The first stage is give commuters the opportunity to timetable from the beginning of the expected to be completed by 2013, plan their journey based on fastest proposed journey to the destination. while the enhancement of the journey routes, routes with the least amount of The second stage will provide users planner will be delivered throughout interchanges and routes which require with travel options by identifying their 2014 and 2015. SPAD will be the project minimum walking. This initiative will travel needs with dynamic information owner of this initiative. be done through three stages, the first – the fastest routes, least amount of

UPT Enabling Projects

The GTP 2.0 has identified the following areas as enablers for the Urban Public Transport initiatives:

1. Fare Review All Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley public transport fares will be reviewed to ensure that they are commercially sustainable.

2. Driver’s Academy and Enhancement Programme To resolve the issue of a lack of bus drivers, a task force will be set up to look into the implementation of a holistic plan that will include the establishment of an academy to recruit and train more certified drivers. This will be followed by a programme to chart the drivers’ career progression based on performance with salary increments, promotions and other benefits and perks.

3. Joint Task Force for Enforcement Enforcement has always been key to improving the public transport system and hence, has been a focus area under the Urban Public Transport NKRA. However, a lack of resources has hindered the effectiveness of any enforcement initiative. To resolve this, a Enforcement Task Force will be set up to address the shortage.

208 IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

4. Watching Brief for Regional Cities and Corridors’ Public Transport initiatives A “watching brief” mechanism will be established jointly by SPAD and PEMANDU to prioritise the areas of improvement for public transportation in Penang, Kuantan, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and . The results of this effort will be incorporated into SPAD’s Regional Masterplan.

5. Greater Kuala Lumpur Business Revitalisation and Car-free Zone To further enhance the attractiveness of Greater Kuala Lumpur and to support the use of public transport in the city, a Business Revitalisation Zone or a Car-free Zone has been proposed in locations with high concentrations of traffic and pedestrian movement. This is aimed at discouraging the use of private vehicles and at the same time, to encourage the public to discover the joys of walking within places of interest.

209 210 IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

211 Urban Public Transport in the Corridors & Cities Transformation Programme

The Government recognises that a well- Klang Valley is to primarily ensure that the Greater KL/Klang Valley area, there developed transport system throughout the transport issue does not become is, under the Economic Transformation the country is an essential component an endemic problem in the near-term. Programme, the Greater KL NKEA in becoming a high income nation by It is with this in mind, the methodology oversees the implementation of the 2020, and has thus invested in other adopted by the UPT NKRA emphasised Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project. There development programmes aside from on big fast results, i.e. immediate and are also plans are aligned with the five the GTP. impactful solutions for the rakyat. As developmental corridors covering the such, the Klang Valley was the ideal entire nation, which target to raise gross The GTP’s focus on improving regional candidate to kickstart these national income (GNI) by a cumulative Urban Public Transport (UPT) in the initiatives. The UPT NKRA works within RM176 billion. The corridors are: Greater KL/Klang Valley should not the view of the three horizons of the • the East Coast Economic Region be construed to suggest that the GTP, which is from 2010 – 2012, 2013 – (ECER) Government deems transport elsewhere 2015, and finally from 2016 onwards to • Iskandar Malaysia unimportant. On the contrary, the achieving Vision 2020. • the Northern Corridor Economic Government has shown significant Region (NCER) consideration of other urban areas to In the middle to longer term, where • the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable commiserate with the needs of each transport is an equally important Energy (SCORE) respective locale. but less time sensitive agenda, the • the Sabah Development Corridor Government has implemented plans (SDC) The GTP’s focus on improving the public that are just as ambitious albeit transport system within the Greater KL/ executed over a longer time frame. In

212 IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

In each case, PEMANDU adopted a which involved focusing on existing ensures that every community within similar methodology to address the programmes and existing initiatives to the individual corridor will benefit from specific issues and challenges each enhance and improve them. The labs having a well developed urban public region may potentially face in the therefore focused on fast-tracking and transport system. areas of public transport. Labs similar problem-solving existing programmes to the ones held for the UPT NKRA belonging to the Corridor itself, the The corridor’s master plan was also and Greater KL NKEA were used in State, the 10th Malaysia Plan and the tailored to ensure that each corridor’s collaboration with corridor stakeholders Economic Transformation Programme. economic activities will complement that looked at two separate issues: the each all other corridors to ensure there economic development of the corridor The focus on the economic corridors is minimal overlap and to maximise and livability-related issues in the ensured that the primary economic and production efficiency. A robust main city. growth centres throughout the country transport system will therefore help are targeted, thereby benefiting the these corridors achieve these goals, The overarching theme of the lab greatest number of population possible. and is therefore a priority for the process was “Making the Most”, This holistic development plan also Government.

1 ECER

The ECER lab identified 10 infrastructure The development plan also pays greater and transportation projects within the emphasis on key result areas in the city ECER corridor region, which help raise of Kuantan, which is the most populous economic productivity and contributing city in ECER. Though traffic volume to the RM176 billion increase in GNI in Kuantan has not reached Klang by 2020. The key economic areas Valley levels, it is becoming evident identified in ECER include agriculture, that the city will benefit greatly from manufacturing, oil and gas, and tourism. enhanced transport infrastructure. This point is especially clear in light of the Transport infrastructure is extremely importance of the Kuantan port for the crucial for these key industries, and import and export of industrial goods. and Kampung Peta in Taman greater road, rail, air and maritime Negara -Rompin, as well as a new connectivity will greatly enhance The Corridors and City development bridge at Bukit Kuang to ease traffic commerce within ECER and with the has several transport projects in ECER congestion in the Kemaman area. rest of Peninsular Malaysia. It will also including developing roads for better help encourage greater investment in access to Kuantan Port and the planned the region, particularly given the strong Kuantan Port City. New roads will also interest in the region’s petrochemical be constructed to facilitate easier resources and facilities. access to tourism hotspots such as

213 2 Iskandar Malaysia

The Iskandar Malaysia corridor sees the implementation of a bus rapid is located on the southern tip of transit system on high-density routes, Peninsular Malaysia, and is contained similar to the ones planned for the almost entirely within the state of Klang Valley. . Iskandar Malaysia faces a critical situation so far as its transport Meanwhile, bus terminals will also is concerned because of congestion be rehabilitated, while roads will be along its major routes: – upgraded to ensure safer and more Singapore, Johor Bahru – , Johor efficient travel. Iskandar will also reform Bahru – and Johor Bahru the taxi system to address the level – . of customer service and to improve road travel alone will not cater for response time under the rubric of the future growth, and hence a light rail In order to enhance the existing Demand Responsive Transit service. system has been proposed for the city transport system, a number of initiatives centre, as well as the development of a such as the expansion and improvement The lab also studied traffic bottlenecks commuter rail service system. of the bus service networks is in place. in Iskandar, and several road upgrades Along with new routes and upgrades to have been identified that will help facilities such as bus stops, the plan also relieve traffic in congested areas. But

3 NCER

Transport projects in NCER will not activities identified in NCER include only focus on commuting persons agriculture, manufacturing, transport and payload, but will also place and logistics, and tourism. special emphasis on logistics to take advantage of region’s manufacturing A total of 35 projects have been capabilities. For example, the NCER identified for NCER, and will raise logistics plan calls for the development annual GNI to RM17.45 billion in 2020. of an automotive logistics hub, which In addition to the automotive hub will enhance the construction and mentioned above, other transport- distribution of small and medium car related initiatives identified for NCER manufacturers in the region. include dredging of the North Channel the implementation of integrated public of the Penang Port to allow larger transport hubs, and the upgrade and As with the ECER corridor, the vessels to call to port. expansion of existing facilities. consultation with the NCER stakeholders identified the region’s Finally, the Greater Georgetown area The goal here is to turn Georgetown key economic activities and tailored will also see extensive upgrades to into a world class city, which is only various initiatives, including transport, its public transport system similar to possible with the right public transport to enhance these existing activities. The initiatives in the Klang Valley such as infrastructure in place.

214 IMPROVING URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

4 SCORE

The goal of the development of the key economic areas in the SCORE New Economic Model is to create a corridor that will be targeted in the high-income, inclusive and sustainable transformation plan are Samalaju, economy including the East Malaysian Tanjung Manis and Mukah. state of Sarawak. Though the Economic Transformation Programme and Although Sarawak has embarked Government Transformation Programme on industrialisation plans as early as are already working to improve and the 1980s, much of the development enhance the economy and living has taken place in scattered zones standards there, but a greater engine that require greater connectivity of growth is required to further boost through an efficient transport network. governance and organisation of the industrialisation there. Furthermore, with the state poised for public transport system. The city of growth, the city of Greater Kuching Greater Miri will also see enhancements This is where SCORE, a 20-year long needs to prepare itself for an influx of of its public transportation system, with plan that is aligned with the state’s residents and thus the plan calls for the goal of raising its modal share to overall development plan, comes in. the laying down of a foundation for 25% by 2015. The Sarawak Corridors and Cities public transport. transformation programme aims to ensure that SCORE’s development is For the present moment, the plan is to equally distributed throughout the enhance the Greater Kuching public state, and to ensure that economic transport system by establishing bus development is balanced. The three right of ways, and to improve the

215 5 SDC

The goal of the SDC is to accelerate As with urban city centres in the economic growth in the state of Sabah country, the growth of public transport in East Malaysia. As with Sarawak, there has not kept up with population is a need to greatly boost the level of growth leading to under-capacities physical infrastructure in Sabah, which and congested facilities. The goal of includes the establishment of transport the plan is to increase public transport networks and routes. For instance, the modality to 25%, which will create new poor levels of overland connectivity of jobs in the industry at the same time. population centres have resulted in a A bus rapid transit system similar to heavy reliance on sea transport for the the one in the Klang Valley has also movement of intra-state cargo. been proposed by constructing better There will also be transport upgrades facilities and purchasing new buses. implemented for areas outside of This has hampered the development Greater Kota Kinabalu, such as access of the logistics industry in Sabah, Finally, there will be a transport hub to low-cost housing areas for illegal which has been identified as one of development in Tanjung Aru within immigrants on Pulau Gaya thereby the key economic areas under focus. the city of Greater Kota Kinabalu will freeing up the island for tourism Others include agriculture, education, establish a new 36km rail line, which will development. manufacturing, oil and gas, palm oil also act as a catalyst for the expansion and tourism. of other routes. This will in turn be a tourism boost for the state.

216