Over 170,000 use monorail in first 15 days

BY LEONG SHEN-LI

PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur's monorail system has ferried over 170,000 during the first 15 days of operations, KL Monorail Systems Sdn Bhd managing director Bakhtiar Jamilee said. 

“The volume is very good considering that passenger services are limited to between 10am and 3pm at the moment. We are very happy to get such numbers just with the lunch-time crowd,” he said. 

He added that the busiest stations were the interchanges with other rail-based public transport systems, such as Titiwangsa and Hang Tuah (transfer stations for Starline light rail transit system), Bukit Nanas (transfer station for Putraline LRT) and KL Sentral (for KTM, Putraline and trains to KL International Airport). 

Other stations in the “Golden Triangle” like Raja Chulan had also been very crowded with office workers. 

“Our KL Sentral station is the busiest with between 2,500 and 3,500 commuters using it daily,” he said when contacted yesterday. 

The RM1.2bil Malaysian-made monorail system – which is seen as the “missing link” in the city's rail-based public transport network – stretches for 8.6km from Titiwangsa  

in Jalan Tun Razak to KL Sentral in Jalan Tun Sambanthan and has 11 stations. 

It was opened on National Day by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Passengers only need to pay RM1 for each ride irrespective of distance. 

When full fare is charged, commuters will be paying between RM1.20 and RM2.50. 

Bakhtiar said operating hours were expected to be extended next month to between 8am and 7pm. 

“The hours will then be extended progressively. Ultimately, trains will run between 6am and midnight.” 

He said five trains were being used at the moment, while new trains were being tested on the tracks at night.