PETALING JAYA: A transport think tank said the government must heed passenger capacity following the decision to implement the elevated autonomous rapid transit system to overcome congestion in Johor Bahru.
MY Mobility Vision executive director Rahman Hussin said there is a need to understand how many people are expected to use the system, particularly during peak hours. There was also a need to understand whether the proposed vehicle capacity and service frequency can accommodate that demand, he said.
Rahman said that passenger capacity is among the three areas that deserve careful attention. Other matters are: long-term operating and maintenance costs; and the impact on existing road traffic, particularly during construction and around major junctions.
“The assessment should consider not only construction expenditure but also infrastructure maintenance, vehicle replacement, energy consumption and technology support over the system’s lifespan,” he told FMT.
The government announced on Friday that the elevated autonomous rapid transit system (e-ART) had been chosen to solve congestion in Johor Bahru, backed by temporary measures including increased bus and KTM Komuter services, and Grab Shuttles around key density zones.
Rahman said the government should also examine how the autonomous system will be integrated with existing facilities and the Johor Bahru-Singapore rapid transit link which begins operations in mid-February.
“International experience shows that successful urban transport systems are designed around passenger demand, network integration and operational performance, rather than technology alone,” Rahman said.
Separately, transport consultant Rosli Azad Khan said e-ART vehicles offer nearly 10 times the capacity of standard stage buses, making them far better suited to absorb peak-hour crowds than ordinary bus fleets.
He said the elevated system would complement the RTS Link as they can accommodate a high number of passengers in one stop within Bukit Chagar.
Rosli said dedicated elevated corridors or separated lanes at road level will allow the e-ART vehicles to operate at maximum speed without being delayed by general traffic congestion.
"To make it more effective, the system should be introduced prior to the opening of RTS so that its route networks are established earlier and become more familiar to the public transport users.”