Saturday February 3, 2007

Fresh bid to get Putrajaya monorail project back on track

PUTRAJAYA: A fresh bid to get the long-delayed monorail project back on track again will be made under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, Putrajaya Corporation chairman Tan Sri Samsudin Osman said.

He said the administrative capital needed public transportation system for long term use to avoid future traffic congestion, adding that a fresh bid would be submitted to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU).

Samsudin, however, declined to say when the corporation would submit the new application, saying that it was attempting to implement the park-and-ride concept to enhance public transport and ease parking woes here.

“We understand that the Government has other priorities but there is a need for this (monorail system). Once the system is in place, the public who need to come to Putrajaya need not drive here.

“For the time being, the Putrajaya Corporation will ensure that the bus service to and from the administrative capital as well as within the area is public-friendly and efficient,” he said after presenting prizes for the Putrajaya Fishing Carnival 2007 Saturday.

About 1,000 fishing enthusiasts participated in the event that offered RM5,000 cash for the first prize winners. The event was organised by the Putrajaya Corporation.

Samsudin said basic infrastructure for the 20km monorail system was already in place, adding apart from the train coaches, railway tracks and stations needed to be built for the purpose.

The monorail project was supposed to be in operational last year but the RM400mil project was shelved in 2004 as the Government had not approved funding for it.

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