Helping the people: Loke (third from left) posing with Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming (second from left) and Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad (fourth from left) launching the BAS.MY service in Ipoh. — RONNIE CHIN/The Star
IPOH: The safety system at the Titiwangsa Light Rail Transit (LRT) station was not faulty when a blind man fell off the platform recently, says Anthony Loke.
The Transport Minister said the system is designed to automatically shut down if anything falls onto the tracks.
“But unfortunately, in this case, the train arrived just as the person fell onto the tracks, and the system did not have time to shut down,” Loke said after launching the BAS.MY service under the Stage Bus Service Transportation (SBST) programme at the Town Hall building here yesterday.
He was asked if the safety system failed following the tragic incident, which resulted in the man’s death.
On Feb 22, a blind man fell onto the tracks and was hit by the train at the Titiwangsa station.
The 7.45am incident disrupted train services at the PWTC, Titiwangsa, Sentul and Sentul Timur LRT stations before operations resumed at 11am.
Loke, however, said investigations are still ongoing and he cannot draw any conclusions yet.
“We aim to improve safety, but this will take time, and be done in phases,” said Loke.
The minister had said the safety aspects at all train stations, especially facilities for persons with disabilities (OKU), would be reviewed and enhanced.
He said Prasarana Malaysia Bhd will implement critical safety measures to prevent such incidents from recurring.
Among the measures are the installation of smart CCTV systems at all train stations capable of detecting high-risk or suspicious behaviours.
He said in the long term, Prasarana is planning to install platform screen doors (PSD) across all LRT lines as part of efforts to enhance passenger safety.
On the BAS.MY stage bus programme, Loke said no electric vehicles would be used at the moment.
He said this is due to cost concerns as the operational and purchase costs of electric buses would be significantly higher.
“For now, we are still using the Euro 5 diesel buses, which are environmentally friendly.
“EV buses may be introduced in the future,” he said.
The SBST programme, which began in 2016, has been extended until 2029 with various improvements, including changes to the bus types, additional routes, an open payment system, concession and monthly cards.
The government has allocated RM13.17mil annually for the BAS.MY service in Ipoh, and under the SBST programme, 51 new buses have been launched.
“This sort of service is currently being launched in every state, particularly in each state capital.
“For the service in Ipoh, we have expanded the coverage area to include Kuala Kangsar and Kampar, in addition to the surrounding areas of Ipoh,” said Loke.
He said various enhancements have been made, with four types of concession cards available .
“For senior citizens, the disabled and students, they travel for free on the bus; for working adults who are citizens, they can obtain unlimited travel passes for RM50 per month,” Loke said.
