KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) said it will not review its contract with Prasarana Malaysia Bhd to operate its upcoming rail line despite the latter's recent technical troubles on another train system.
MRT Corp strategic communications and stakeholder relations director Datuk Najmuddin Abdullah said he was confident in Prasarana's ability to handle its fleet of over 40 trains on its Sungai Buloh-Kajang line (SBK line), half of which will begin operations in December as part of its first phase.
“Yes,” he said when asked if MRT Corp was happy with its current contract with Prasarana, despite recent glitches in the latter's systems.
“They are very experienced. It is quite unfortunate that the hiccup happened twice in a week but the two hiccups does not represent the future because I believe that they will learn from what happened and be more prepared in future, including when they operate the MRT line,” he added.
Speaking during a media briefing on the groundbreaking of the second MRT line — the Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya line (SSP line) — this Thursday, he explained that MRT Corp was only responsible for the construction of the station and tracks, with the operation and subsequent maintenance being in the hands of Prasarana.
Najmuddin pointed out, however, that MRT Corp already has in place safety precautions such as safety walkways and track pockets to ensure that stalled trains can be easily evacuated of passengers.
The walkway between tracks allow passengers to safely walk to the nearest station in case of disruptions while the track pockets provide space for rescue trains to be deployed, he explained.
National news agency Bernama reported on June 17 that Putrajaya decided to appoint Prasarana as the operator of the SBK line.
Phase 1 of the project is set to begin this December from Sungai Buloh to Semantan while Phase 2, from Semantan to Kajang, is expected to be operational by July 2017.
The Light Rail Transit (LRT) operated by Prasarana experienced two major and consecutive service disruptions last week, which left thousands of commuters stranded.
The second disruption also forced some riders to abandon their trains and walk on the tracks to the nearest station.
Prasarana Group managing director Datuk Azmi Abdul Aziz has since announced free rides for commuters from today until September 15 to make amends for its LRT service disruptions last week.
Bernama reported that the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) had also ordered the company to submit a full report on the disruption involving the Kelana Jaya line by September 21.
English daily The Star reported Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai as saying today that it has ordered Prasarana to revise its standard operating procedures for evacuation after a glitch on its LRT service saw riders having to walk along train tracks.
