Eight LRT, MRT stations designated as emergency response centres

KUALA LUMPUR: Eight LRT and MRT stations are being used as early emergency response centres under the Rapid KL Safety Point (RSP) project.

Prasarana Malaysia Bhd president and group chief executive officer Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah said the programme launched yesterday was a continuation of the police’s Go to Safety Point initiative with petrol stations since 2013.

“All eight rail stations were chosen as all the locations have a high volume of passengers, especially during peak hours.

“We will start with the eight stations in this pilot project. Each station will be equipped with a special sticker to show that the station provides emergency aid to those who need it,” he told reporters after the launch of the RSP at Kampung Batu MRT station yesterday.

The eight stations chosen for the RSP are the Kampung Batu MRT station, Pasar Seni LRT and MRT stations, Masjid Jamek LRT station (Kelana Jaya and Ampang routes), KL Sentral LRT station, KLCC LRT station, and Bukit Bintang MRT station.

The RSP pilot project will, in due course, include all 147 rail stations under Prasarana, he said.

“We have a total of 900 auxiliary police personnel, and each station will have three to five personnel that will give emergency aid to passengers.

“We are not setting a deadline for implementing the project fully at all 147 stations, but rest assured it will be done eventually,” he said.

When the Putrajaya route is fully open, Rapid KL expects a sharp increase in passengers compared to the current 600,000 passengers per day, he said.

Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim, who launched the project, said the project is timely as public safety is always the priority.

“Since January, a total of 261 criminal cases have been recorded, including snatch theft and molest, on public transport in the city.

“The RSP project is a step in the right direction to increase the safety of passengers,” he said.

Passengers in need of assistance can go to an emergency room provided as part of the RSP project, according to Comm Azmi.

“Safety and security are the responsibilities of all.

“We hope this project will lead to more awareness of crime prevention,” he said.

He also targeted a reduction of eight to 12% in crime index cases in Kuala Lumpur next year.

“We can achieve such a target if we all work together,” he added.