NOVEMBER 6 — Malaysia’s feverishly insecure. By Malaysia, I mean Malaysians.
Insecurities morph into an insatiable desperation for control. At times, for no other reason than to express to all that this universe truly belongs to them. That they are the masters, with or without the powers of Grayskull!
Recently it was highlighted by buses, or more so the reaction to violating buses. Apparently, intercity express buses were insolent enough to wait at unholy places. This went on too long, and the regulator acted.
Or as Apad — Land Public Transportation Agency — ineloquently phrased in its press statement, “the company [Aeroline luxury coach operator] had misused its express bus licence by picking up and dropping off passengers at unauthorised locations.”
Stay with me, Apad tears down sensible street in its release.
“The suspension was carried out under Section 27 of the Land Public Transport Act for breaching licence conditions, namely Clauses 16 and 19 of the General Terms of Service Level Requirements for express bus services.”
Do not worry. I am not a frequent Aeroline bus patron. It is like five times the price of the regular express bus to Johor Baru.
For the uninitiated, those operating with a budget and without a Singapore paycheque, heading to Singapore is a bus to Larkin, Johor Baru, then get onboard the 170 — Singapore SBS transit bus to Queen Street or 170X to Kranji on the island’s north.
For those with less, more trouble is OK for less cost. Usually means Terminal Bersatu Sepadu (TBS) by the MRR2 near Sungai Besi.
In an inspired effort to be egalitarian — not — Apad wants the buses to be at their sanctioned stations. This is to assume in the city, TBS, Pekeliling, Gombak or Jalan Duta are those authorised stations.
A bother for big brother
Since the 1990s, transport planners struggled to sort out intercity travel.
Being a nation of three cities, all the rural folks descend upon those sprawls and Singapore, for jobs.
As such, holiday travel is non-negotiable even if they are arduous.
Express buses keep Malaysians connected. From the luxury buses to the barebones which time travel people to the 1920s. They all play their roles.
Puduraya terminal was too city centre and therefore new options were generated. Stops at the north, east and south edge as start and end points for express buses were developed.
Apad, like its predecessors, regulates these shifts.
It misunderstands, though, its role. It assumes the power of regulator translates to absolute power. As long as it does it by the book, regardless of the effect of its decisions, it is pleased. For it is in the clear and therefore not at blame. Which is why it spouts out Section 27, Clauses 16 and 19 for its own edification.
Though, is that how it should be?
A regulator facilitates. Not act as an overlord, but as the one which balances stakeholders’ interests.
In Apad’s case to care for passengers, bus operators, terminal operators, police and local authorities, for instance. That people travel seamlessly, safely and protected. That commercial interests are insulated from a savage market.
Keeping a bus service afloat for a short period is an achievement, for Aeroline to have been around for almost 20 years by my count is spectacular. A medal rather than a stop-operation order might have been far more suitable.
Picked up — here, there and everywhere
Golden Mile Tower, Jurong East (Venture Ave No. 5 Bus Bay), The Plaza Mall, Bugis MRT Exit D, Boon Lay, Kovan Hub 206, Oxley Bizhub Express Bus, Hotel Boss, Lavender MRT and Kitchener Complex.
Singapore, according to a poll, has the highest number of millionaires per capita in Asia-Pacific after Australia. It also has a multitude of stops across the tiny island for buses to Kuala Lumpur, as listed above.
Singaporeans need not go to one place like TBS, to board buses to Malaysia.
Singapore also has one of the few public transit systems in the world — trains and buses — which rakes in a profit annually. They might have an inkling about transporting people efficiently.
And Singapore is no different from Kuala Lumpur, the metropolitan. People live across the Klang Valley, and want to leave it — and presumably return to it — without hassle.
It is not selfish that residents in Petaling Jaya want to start and end their journey to Singapore in One Utama Mall rather than in the south.
The permutations are self-evident. The bus companies prefer to ferry people from spots where purchases are more rampant.
Mini stops if not regulated can flare up traffic congestions. Just because Bandar Sri Damansara residents want to bus to Singapore quicker, does not justify clogging the arteries at the LDP, Penchala Link or the DASH Highways. Which is why Apad has a role.
The role is to enable, and not a chance to dictate terms.
I can go on but it is unnecessary. Sensible solutions which match buyers and sellers which Apad can regulate in the interest of public transportation, not its own self-importance.
Then the petty emerges.
But if the buses are not at TBS, then the terminals are emptier, Apad speaks up. It might be a shocker but the well-being of the terminal receiving maximum amount of rental is not the primary objective of public transportation.
The terminal which belongs to Maju Holdings has other distractions currently, like its board members facing almost half a billion ringgit of criminal breach of trust charges.
The gift
Apad has on its shoulder huge responsibilities. To transport its people is to drive the economy.
If the regulator cared it would not be so impersonal to communicate via a statement. For a lot of us, public transport is very personal.
Apad has actual challenges to rise to.
The UPSI bus crash in June still demands industry wide safety changes. The industry lacks 5,000 drivers. The government ordered more than fifteen hundred buses which require oversight.
I suspect the decision makers do not use public transportation. It takes a certain callousness to think that an additional hour and a half on the MRT from One Utama to Maluri, a walk around to LRT Maluri, a change at Chan Sow Lin LRT to Tasik Selatan, exit walk out pass KLIA Transit and to the lift and then trudge to the main TBS hall, is nothing.
Sure, the Aeroline type characters will use the KLIA Transit from KL Sentral to Tasik Selatan. Save half an hour.
There are still hours expanded to have an extra step to the travel outstation experience because of the requirement for a centralised bus terminal.
The weekend is the same length for king and peasant. Probably shorter for the peasant. As the post-punk Gang of Four put it in Return the Gift track, “Please send me evenings and weekends.”
Apad is splitting hairs over a non-issue to establish the point that it and not the people get to decide public transportation in Malaysia.
Rather than fight Aeroline for decades over its Corus Hotel or One Utama stop, it could have carved up a working model which assists passengers. At the top of all our concerns surely are the people.
Just like He-Man, Apad is expected to use its power to help the masses, not train us to accept its authority. Otherwise, it gets a different name. Skeletor!
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
