Further improvemnets in land public transport on the cards, says PM

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Najib testing the high speed train simulator after the Annual Symposium on Land Transport  2016 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. — Bernama photo

Najib testing the high speed train simulator after the Annual Symposium on Land Transport 2016 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. — Bernama photo

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the government will continue to address the nation’s public transport needs through holistic and inclusive solutions both in urban and rural areas.

The prime minister said this was to ensure that land public transport continued to be relevant to the people and was up to par with the standards of developed nations.

He noted that the land public transport system transformation had recorded commendable progress, in tandem with significant strides achieved through the National Transformation Programme (NTP).

“Enhancing land public transport in Malaysia has been one of the government’s most meaningful and transformative agendas given its impact in delivering better commutes for citizens,” he said.

Najib said this in his remarks contained in the Land Public Transport Commission’s (SPAD) Land Public Transport Journey 2010-2015 report unveiled yesterday.

He reckoned that this improvement, which was being felt across the nation, could not have transpired had the

government held back from tackling some deeply introspective questions before embarking on the NTP.

The questions, he said, included where did Malaysia stand compared to other developed countries and where was the global economy headed.

“We took note of social imperatives in a constant state of flux and the need to cope with the challenges of increasing urbanisation,” he said, adding that for Malaysia to join the big leagues, it needed game-changers.

He said he always believed that better public transport was a critical precursor for socio-economic growth, particularly in enabling improved quality of life, increased productivity, investments and creation of more high-value jobs for citizens.

He said besides rapid development seen in the rail sector, the government was fully behind bus service transformation including to ensure operator sustainability.

“We would like to see all underserved areas down to the furthest villages will be served and that commuters will have access to safe and reliable services,” he said. — Bernama