Enhancing Public Transport

1
Enhancing Public Transport

• in the Kinta Valley
• Summit on Urban Public Transport
• 09 November, 2008

2
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 transport
  can bring to our communities

3
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
  large-scale investments such as LRT or monorail

4
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

5
To make people use public transport

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

MAKE TRIP FAST AND COMFORTABLE
MAKE GETTING TO PLACES SIMPLE AND STRAIGHT FORWARD
MAKE TRANSFERS CONVENIENT AND HASSLE FREE
6
Organization and Regulation

• Too many government agencies
• Not enough power/ability/willingness to enforce
  regulations
• Incomplete understanding of what public transport
  can offer to a community
• Focus on the Lower-income group ? low
  expectations
• Competition does not help the public
  transportation industry
• Operators may sacrifice quality, service,
  mobility, safety, rights of workers, etc.

7
Who does what in public transport
This highly systemic and strategic task should be
entrusted to a centralized authority with a
high-level of legislative and enforcement powers

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

This operational task is typically taken by
private or quasi-government operators.
Pooled resources refer to commonly shared
infrastructures funded by taxpayers.Ownership by
local and regional level authorities is a must.
8
Regional / local planning

• Local governments focus on traffic management and
  cater to cars
• Development planning does not include public
  transportation early enough
• Planning is not coordinated with other
  governments within the region
• Private model improvements/proposals often
  focus on increasing operator profits rather than
  mobility

9
Real Investments in Public Transportation

• Change of Attitude We are investing in
  infrastructure which is an asset for this nation
• Rail infrastructure is the most efficient way to
  move people and goods
• Complete, accessible rapid-transit networks
  increase peoples mobility
• Better planning mobility better quality of
  life
• Remove thousands of cars from our roads daily
• Fewer jams greater economic productivity
  economic growth

10
Universal Accessibility/Design

• NOT just facilities for the disabled
• simplify access to life for everyone
• Meet the needs of people of all ages and
  abilities
• "Universal design is the design of products and
  environments to be usable by all people, to the
  greatest extent possible, without the need for
  adaptation or specialized design."Ron Mace

11
Enhancing Development and Reducing Infrastructure
Costs

• Urban growth may be planned but often leads to
  urban sprawl ? More than 1000 suburban housing
  estates in the Klang Valley
• Suburban and exurban communities are often
  low-density
• Transport infrastructure is often inadequate
• Providing infrastructure is costly for local
  councils/government
• Mobility requires private transportation ? money
• ? Automobile apartheid
• Infrastructure is inadequate ? How long can it
  last?

12
Transit-oriented Development

• Communities designed around public transport hubs
• Pedestrian and people friendly
• Environmentally friendly
• Economically sustainable if planned properly
• Lowers taxes and infrastructure costs

13
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
• Availability
• Reliability
• Safety
• Comfort

• The measurement of performance is the key,
  because
• If you cant measure it, you cant control it
• If you cant control it, you cant manage it
• If you cant manage it, you cant improve it.

14
So How? What are the Solutions?

• Parliamentary and DUN Committees
• National Public Transportation Authority
• Introduce and maintain National Standards
• Integrated Planning across Malaysia
• Local/Regional Public Transport Authorities
• Regional and Local Planning e.g for Kinta Valley
• Controls routes, fares, assets
• Operators under contract to provide services
• Encourage and use public feedback

15
A new model for public transport

• Local / Regional 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

16
Recommended Structure
17
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
OPERATORSSCOPE
AUTHORITIES SCOPE
COST EFFICIENCY
COST EFFECTIVENESS
CONSUMED OUTPUTS Passenger/mile Passenger/energy
unit Infra. KPIs Service KPIs
PRODUCED OUTPUTS Journey covered/labor
Operational cost/mile Vehicle seats/mile
SERVICEEFFICIENCY
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A new financing model
Non-discriminating distribution of tax revenue
and fee income to cover entire population
FUNDING
TRANSPORT AUTHORITIES
LOCAL / STATE GOVT Quit rent rates depend on
proximity to transit connections Congestion
charges, summonsFEDERAL GOVTTaxes, royalties,
duties, levies
PENALTY IF KPIs NOT MET
PENALTY IF KPIs NOT MET
PAYOUTS BASED ONDISTANCE TRAVELLED AND DRIVING
MANHOURS
UNIFORM FEE COLLECTION(integrated ticketing
system)
CIVILDUTY
COMMUTERS
OPERATORSContracted toPrivate local GLC-funded
localPrivate foreign
EXTRA FEE FOR VALUE-ADDED SERVICE
19
Think past the Mega-project

• People want connectivity and convenience!
• Mega-projects take time and cost money
• Other forms of rapid transit do exist
• These are the cost-effective, quick,
  comprehensive solutions we need

20
The view from TRANSIT

• Indiscriminate expansion not needed
• Go back to the hub-and-spoke model
• 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

21
A Plan for Action

• Short-Term (up to Dec 2009)
• Present the view of public transport users as a
  single voice
• Ensure that the revamp by Combined Bus Services
  (CBS) includes public feedback get yourselves
  to the table!
• Make sure that Ipoh Council and CBS enforce
  existing regulations (no Pajak system)
• Improve accessibility of bus services

22
A Plan for Action

• Mid-Term (up to 2012)
• Work with Ipoh Council and Perak government to
  fill in missing links in infrastructure (hubs,
  bus lanes) and network (more rapid-transit
  lines)
• Further investment in rapid-transit networks
• Invest in expansion of KTM Komuter (fleet,
  frequency, services) to link Ipoh to KL and Penang

23
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME

• M Zulkarnain Hamzah 019-280-0608
• Sek 4, Shah Alam zk9_at_hotmail.com
• http//transitmy.org
• klangvalley.transit_at_gmail.com
• It is easy to join TRANSITs online discussion
  group. Just email klangvalley_transit-subscribe_at_ya
  hoogroups.com!