Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan
KOTA KINABALU: Greater Kota Kinabalu is in need of an efficient public transportation system.
“There is no doubt that greater Kota Kinabalu requires it. In fact the government is concerned about the increasing number of vehicles on the road which leads to acute traffic congestion,” said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan.
But of course just like any other city, having the idea alone is not enough and there needs to be a comprehensive solution to the matter, he said.
Abdul Rahman said he envisions such a public transport system for Sepanggar and greater Kota Kinabalu. But the rakyat must be prepared to pay a bit more for fares if they want better, cleaner, more comfortable and efficient public transport.
“What I am trying to say to the people in Kota Kinabalu is, if they want a world class public transportation system, they must be able to invest together with the government. In other words, willing to pay slightly more than what they have been paying at the moment because they are going to get clean, efficient and very comfortable buses,” he stressed.
According to Abdul Rahman while the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is something that can be done, Kota Kinabalu is on the verge of qualifying for a LRT city but it requires another five to 10 years to get the population to justify having that type of transport system.
“So at the moment it is not about whether you want to do it or not, the issue is choosing which one. LRT is more expensive and greater Kota Kinabalu is not so big in terms of size so it may not be that efficient.
“I personally feel the best way is a hybrid, a BRT with a track which can be converted into LRT in the future but the cost is quite steep so there is an element of government subsidy.
“I have seen the alignment, PWD has shown me and at the moment it is understudy, this means the technical part of the study, meaning if it is elevated it will cost more, if it is at the grade with the ground, it will not be as expensive as elevated. But in certain areas need to have elevation,” he stressed.
Abdul Rahman said the Economic Planning Unit has commissioned a study and the results will be out soon.
“We have given some preliminary numbers to the state government but the numbers at the moment, without the ability of the government to subsidize and the willingness of the people of Kota Kinabalu to pay slightly higher, the idea probably is a bit too daunting to execute.
So you can’t be paying what we are paying for the bus fare right now. If the people expect that kind of fare then this idea of having a BRT may not work because it is just too expensive.
“We need to get the people to buy in, the stakeholders to understand what the issues are. So if the people are willing to pay slightly more for a better and more comfortable ride, then it is something that is doable,” he said.
Abdul Rahman who is Sabah BN Secretary said that BN Sabah will mention about public transportation in its manifesto to be unveiled soon.