SS,Sunday 25 September 2011
I refer to “Bus operators seek Govt’s help to stay afloat” (The Star, Sept 23).
The Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association, which has 130 members operating 4,200 stage buses, has made repeated calls to the Government for bailouts such as taking over or offer more subsidies.
They have submitted over 20 memoranda to the Government and had meetings with the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman and Transport Minister but to no avail.
Twenty percent of the operators have ceased operations and soon more will shut down if no resolution is forthcoming. This will affect thousands of commuters and lower the nation’s productivity.
The main aim of the defunct Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board in promoting entrepreneurship has no doubt contributed to the quagmire we have for our road transport.
Apart from the lack of expertise for many who jumped into the bandwagon, some bus operators are plagued with corruption and pilferage.
New buses are not bought off the shelf like ordinary cars. The bus chassis and body can be configured to fit any specification resulting in a huge variance in quality and prices for similar looking buses.
The wide range of bus prices is often exploited by both sellers and buyers. It is also easy for bus drivers to work hand in glove with the mechanics to fabricate repair bills when operators don’t run a tight ship.
Could it possibly be tacit approval that everyone can dip their hands but don’t be caught?
Pilferages of fares by the conductor or driver in one-man-operation (OMO) buses is common. Bus inspectors are paid to close their eyes.
The inconsistent policies by the authorities have also contributed to our chaotic public transportation system.
Putting a cap on bus fares may have benefited some commuters but at the expense of service. It is pointless to reduce the price of goods or services to the extent they are no longer offered for sale or service.
The bus service in the Klang Valley is inconsistent.
Recently, the major bus operator servicing 165 routes and covering 980 housing estates have added 150 new buses with disabled-friendly features.
However, there seem to be over-concentration of its buses along the more lucrative routes, leaving others poorly serviced or no service at all.
To quote Petaling Jaya Mayor Datuk Mohammad Roslan Sakiman who said “In the past there were Sri Jaya buses that used to go to Section 5 or Section 10 but today the service has stopped”.
A government-linked corporation should not compete head on with private bus companies. Instead, the few profitable stage bus companies that do not rely on or ask for subsidies should be nurtured.
Such support should not go overboard. From the beginning, stage buses operate on fixed routes and scheduled fares. However, a stage bus operator in the Klang Valley is granted an ‘open permit’ allowing its buses to operate anywhere and their drivers are allowed to hire the buses at a fixed rate and keep all the fares. What we have on our roads is drivers operating oversized taxis overtaking each other to pick up bus passengers.
There are hundreds of complaints posted online against this bus operator but it seems to get away with impunity.
YS Chan
Kuala Lumpur
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