Ditching the car for the LRT to the city proves to be an elevating experience.

KUALA Lumpur is really quite pretty. It took an unplanned Light Rail Transit (LRT) ride for me to realise that.

I usually drive to the city and my eyes are glued on the road and the traffic, which is definitely not a pretty sight. And if I am not driving, I am e-mailing or texting. Or napping.

A fortnight ago, my daughters and I decided to park and ride instead. They are occasional LRT users but I hadn’t been on it for many years. I didn’t feel like facing KL traffic, even on a Sunday and paying a bomb for parking so, encouraged by my girls, I made the impulsive decision to take the LRT at Kelana Jaya station to Suria KLCC for lunch.

We then rode to Masjid Jamek station to change to the Ampang line to Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) to visit the Malaysia International Shoe Festival.

My car-less day in KL turned out to be a generally pleasant experience. The stations and trains were clean and coaches ran efficiently with adequate air-conditioning, even when they were packed with passengers.

But there are issues with accessibility: no way can I take my Dad in his wheelchair on a day out via the LRT and walkways. The lift at one station was out of order and so was another lift at the end of the walkway after we got out at the PWTC stop.

And there were plenty of steps and staircases everywhere. As we took the ascending escalator at Masjid Jamek, we saw a man with crutches gingerly walking down the stairs as there was no descending escalator.

But if you are able bodied and have comfortable walking shoes, the LRT is not a bad way to travel. What I appreciated most was the above-ground view it offered.

I could marvel at the imposing architecture of many high-rise buildings that collectively make an impressive city skyline. When the LRT track traversed over the Klang and Gombak rivers, I caught sight of flowing brown water which was surprisingly rubbish-free.

Another unexpected sight was the street art along the banks of the Klang River opposite the Pasar Seni station. That surely must be one of the nicest things KL City Hall has done – providing space and even a degree of freedom to artistic expression.

That’s why we could see a huge mural of PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat feted, together with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, as “Malaya Heroes”. Viewed from the LRT, the colourful murals flashed past us like a moving art gallery.

What also made an impression was the greenery of the city. Years ago, when I was a City Hall reporter, a key policy was to make KL a garden city.

I didn’t hold much hope for it as the authorities then seemed more obsessed with planting shadeless palm trees and view-blocking ornamental shrubs.

Those palms are still around (too expensive to yank out, I suppose) and shrubs and branches still block signs and road names, but there are definitely a lot more leafy trees in the city.

The garden efforts have gotten a boost from the Greener KL project under the National Economic Transformation Programme.

Beginning 2011, some 30,000 trees have been planted every year and it will go on until 2020.

That is a really smart move but I do hope that the right species are being planted and maintained. Trees can maketh a city. The Angsana tree with its bright yellow flowers is very much of the landscape of George Town and it provides excellent shade. Singapore grows the majestic Rain Tree along its highways which also provide welcome shade and coolness.

Riding the LRT gave me a little snapshot of how Malaysians behave in confined spaces too.

And really, it wasn’t bad. In fact, I was delighted to see, without promp­ting nor hesitation, young people getting up from their seats for a couple carrying two toddlers.

Maybe because it was a Sunday, the atmosphere in the trains was relaxed and quiet. There was also a good mix of people sharing this mode of public transport: students, families, foreign workers and tourists.

No one ate and left crumbs or plastic bags, no one talked loudly on their mobiles and even when the coaches were crowded, female passengers didn’t act like they were on the alert for bum-pinchers and gatal molesters.

What I also appreciated was the elevated walkway from the station to PWTC, like the skywalk in Bangkok. That’s one of my bugbears about KL: its lack of walkability. Apart from snatch thieves and scary drivers, many sidewalks are full of peril: broken tiles, dangerous metal bits sticking out where old railings had broken off and pavements that end abruptly and leave you stranded.

Some inconsiderate shopkeepers also take over the five-foot ways (love this quaint colonial term), forcing pedestrians onto the road.

So more skywalks, please, although more can be done to keep them litter-free.

I never expected to gain so much from a train ride but my day out on the LRT was a wonderful eye opener. There was no escaping the hot, humid weather but at least, we had cool respite in the coaches.

I am really excited about the MRT because when completed, it means greater connectivity for Greater KL and its six million denizens.

It will be a few years before it is up and running but I hope it will be built with consideration for disabled and older passengers. I do so want to take my dad for a joy ride.

> The aunty intends to explore KL by foot more and that includes taking the air-conditioned skywalk from KLCC to Pavilion to see whether it is as good as the reviews say. Feedback welcome: junewong@thestar.com.my

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