K Pragalath March 28, 2012
Environmentalist Gurmit Singh said the onus is on the public to pressure the government to improve public transport.
KUALA LUMPUR: An environmentalist is urging the public to pressure the government to improve public transport.
Environmentalist KS Gurmit Singh of Centre for Environment Technology and Development, Malaysia (Cetdem) said :”Stand up and demand, otherwise the (public transport) users are to be blamed.
“Until and unless the middle class are affected, the government will not resolve this issue. Channel the frustration to the politicians,” said Gurmit at a round table discussion entitled, Public Transportation Problems In Malaysia: Issues and Solutions.
He was confident that the issue can be resolved due to the high number of people using Light Rail Transit as a transport mode.
Gurmit added that the time is right to pressure the government since there are speculations that the 13th general election will be held this year.
He also stressed that the public transport sector be treated as a public service since no country treats it as profit making sector.
Another participant, NB Dayananda meanwhile blamed the BN government for the problems.
“For 50 over years everything provided was for personal gain.”
He said this was because public transportation projects profited certain politicians.
Dayananda suggested that the public transportation sector be handled by the government and profits are returned to the government.
The forum was organised by Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s environment bureau.
R Rajiv from the Association for the Improvement of Mass Transit, Klang Valley (Transit) meanwhile suggested that a specific transport authority be formed since there are no authorities responsible in route planning
“There should be one centralised authority and another at council level to plan.SPAD is not suitable as it concentrates on MRT instead of public transportation problem,” said Rajiv.
PSM’s central committee member Dr D Michael Jeyakumar, who is also Sungai Siput MP, meanwhile promised the participants that another meeting will be arranged soon for the formation of a coalition that would be dedicated to champion the issue of public transportation.
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