Dynamic Improvements to Public Transportation in Malaysia

ABF Public Transport Forum

October 28-29, 2008

Presentation Structure
Introductions who we are Resolving Public Transport Issues in Malaysia Regulation has to change Organization has to change A New Model for Public Transport Making it happen Conclusion

Sowho are you?

The Association for the Improvement of Mass-Transit (TRANSIT), Klang Valley A diverse group of public transport users A united voice for the passenger Our Goal
to ensure the voice of the passenger is heard in public transport planning, regulation, and operations To increase awareness about what public public transport can bring to our communities

Resolving Public Transport Issues in Malaysia

MYTH:
Public Transport is a mobility service for poor people

Hence the following misunderstandings:

Investment in private transport is more important for the nation than investment in public transport Supporting the needs of private transport users is a priority in Malaysia There are no choice users of public transport We should give the users (those poor souls) the cheap, basic service that they want/need Real improvement to public transport requires largescale investments such as LRT or monorail

Resolving Public Transport Issues in Malaysia

FACT: Public transport provides 3 functions for society
Mobility for those not using private transport Development tool to reduce infrastructure costs A business operation with potential for profits

Investment in public transport is investment in critical communications infrastructure Far less money has been invested properly into public transport than in other infrastructure

Why dont choice users choose to use public transport?

TRIP (Mass) transit journey is too tiring ROUTE Transit routes are very complicated PLATFORM Transit points are not accessible

To make people use public transport

TRIP MAKE TRIP FAST AND COMFORTABLE (Mass) transit journey is too tiring
MAKE GETTING TO PLACES SIMPLE AND STRAIGHT FORWARD

ROUTE Transit routes are very complicated

MAKE TRANSFERS CONVENIENT AND HASSLE FREE

PLATFORM Transit points are not accessible

The current system cannot work because:

TRIP Collective movement of people ROUTE Servicing common corridor with greater Operators pitted against each other will take every cost efficiency savings they can get away with in absence of any reasonable standards, regulations and enforcement PLATFORM Facilitated by pooled resources (stations, street signals, dedicated lanes etc)
Mass transit vehicles SHARE travel space with private vehicles Operators maximize whatever they can squeeze from any loophole in public infrastructure (i.e. loitering of parked buses, unruly road hogging and speeding) The single most important competitor to public transport is private transport Taxpayers money has not been used to fund common infrastructure to support public transport the way it is used to build and maintain roads for cars.

Regulation has to change

Public transport is not coordinated
Various disconnected services operated by various disconnected corporations

Some important questions

Why are government corporations competing with private corporations? Will the S.P.A.N. be just another agency? (#14) Does the government have a clear, realistic plan for public transport? Are government and operators listening to us?

So?
To do this we must appreciate and understand all functions of public transport when we plan, regulate, and operate these services
Is the service providing universal accessibility? Is the service enhancing development? Is the service planned and implemented to reduce other infrastructure costs? Have we maximized the benefits and minimized the costs? Are we planning ahead or planning too late?

The importance of planning:

TRIP Collective movement of people ROUTE Servicing common corridors with greater efficiency PLATFORM Facilitated by pooled resources (stations, street signals, dedicated lanes etc)

Who does what in public transport

TRIP Collective movement of people ROUTE Servicing common corridor with greater This operational task is typically taken by private or efficiency quasi-government operators. PLATFORM Facilitated by pooled resources (stations, street signals, dedicated lanes etc)
This highly systemic and strategic task should be entrusted to a centralized authority with a high-level of legislative and enforcement powers

Pooled resources refer to commonly shared infrastructures funded by taxpayers. Ownership by local and regional level authorities is a must.

The bottom line of public transport

MAKE TRIP FAST AND COMFORTABLE MAKE GETTING TO PLACES SIMPLE AND STRAIGHT FORWARD MAKE TRANSFERS CONVENIENT AND HASSLE FREE

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS in: Accessibility The measurement of performance is the key, Availability because If you cant measure it, you cant control it Reliability If you cant control it, you cant manage it If you cant manage it, you cant improve it. Safety Comfort

Change the regulation

Public Transport is a rakyat issue Public Transport Oversight and Regulation should be handled by a Select Parliamentary Committee A Centralized Authority (S.P.A.N.) to:
Create national standards for public transport Integrate planning with National Physical Plan Determine funding needs and provide funds Invest in critical improvements to infrastructure

Change the regulation

Local / Regional Authorities are empowered to carry out the regulation of public transport
Local / Regional Authorities would be integrated with economic growth regions Focus on local and regional planning as identified in the National Physical Plan Ownership of crucial public transport infrastructure Provision of investment capital and funding

A new model for public transport

Authority provides & owns all vital infrastructure (incl. routes) Operators contracted to the Local or Regional Authority for a 3-5 year period Contract through open tender and KPI Operators are paid a contract fee for services provided with additional incentives for meeting/exceeding KPI Feedback from passengers becomes vital

A new organizational model

Fair allocation of risks and responsibilities between operators and authorities KPIs in: Accessibility Availability Reliability Safety Comfort INPUTS
Taxpayers Money Infrastructure Technology Resources Labor

CONSUMED OUTPUTS
Passenger/mile Passenger/energy unit Infra. KPIs Service KPIs

SERVICE EFFICIENCY

PRODUCED OUTPUTS
Journey covered/labor Operational cost/mile Vehicle seats/mile

A new financing model

Non-discriminating distribution of tax revenue and fee income to cover entire population LOCAL / STATE GOVT
Quit rent rates depend on proximity to transit connections Congestion charges, summons FUNDING PENALTY IF KPIs NOT MET

TRANSPORT AUTHORITIES

FEDERAL GOVT
Taxes, royalties, duties, levies

CIVIL DUTY

COMMUTERS

EXTRA FEE FOR VALUE-ADDED SERVICE

OPERATORS Contracted to:

Private local GLC-funded local Private foreign

The view from TRANSIT

Indiscriminate LRT expansion not needed Go back to the RapidKL hub-and-spoke model used from 2006-2007 This time, we make it work!
Authority builds vital infrastructure (hubs, lanes) Authority directs local councils to identify bus routes All bus operators under contract to Authority Packaging of Areas will combine lucrative trunk routes with express and suburban routes

TRANSITs Klang Valley Network

Our Strategic Plan - Start from the basics
Make the bus service work well Enhance the bus services by introducing critical infrastructure (lanes, hubs) Introduce Quality Bus or Rapid Transit services to improve speed, frequency, reliability

Then, we invest
How many passengers per direction per hour? Choose the appropriate technology to meet our needs maximize benefits at the lowest cost! Ex. Kelana Jaya LRT to Lembah Subang

To move 10,000 pax/d/h we can choose:

LRT Capital Cost/km Pax/d/h (000s) Right-ofWay type Flexibility Monorail Tram* RM40150 mn 4-15 Class A/B/C some U/Sub 3 gen Bus* RM2550 mn 3-10 Class A/B/C greater U/S/Rur 2 gen RM250- RM150300 mn 200 mn 9-25 6-20 Class A Class A none none Urban 2 gen

Community Urban Growth 2 gen

Moving 10,000 passengers/d/h

So what does that mean?

The LRT solution is not the only one we should look at the costs are higher and benefits lower Mass-Transit only when demand is proven For congested urban areas, monorail may be a more cost-effective solution than LRT Rapid Trams have the greatest combination of costs, capacity, and flexibility Rapid Transit on main roads (BRT, Trams) and expressways (ERT) is the best way to introduce rapid transit to our communities
Uses the existing (and paid-for) road infrastructure Construction costs are lower so more km of routes Can be built faster and fine-tuned more easily

Perhaps you want to see lines on a map?

-ve > +ve

I feel it is an attempt at misdirection
we see the map, we think the line will be built We stop asking those serious questions We wait and wait and wait and promises continue but no improvements! Ex. Subang Jaya LRT Ex. Penang Monorail

Conclusion
Understand what makes public transport works best (utilizing all 3 functions) Public Transport is a rakyat issue
Involve the rakyat & involve them

S.P.A.N. plus Local / Regional Authority

Govt management + Private operators

Fair allocation: funding, resources & risks Maximize benefits, minimize costs! Keep it simple and make it work!

Thank you for your time

Moaz Yusuf Ahmad
Moaz.ahmad@gmail.com 012-248-3330

On behalf of TRANSIT
http://transitmy.org Klangvalley.transit@gmail.com klangvalley_transitsubscribe@yahoogroups.com