PETALING JAYA: Transport safety experts are calling on the government to install automatic platform gates, also known as platform screen doors (PSDs), at its older metro stations to prevent incidences of passengers falling onto the tracks.
Transport expert Law Teik Hua, who heads the Road Safety Research Centre at Universiti Putra Malaysia, said the April 3 incident of a woman falling onto the tracks at the Abdullah Hukum Station highlighted the urgency of the issue.
“While such incidents might not happen frequently, whenever it does happen, there will be serious implications like injuries, service interruptions and even death,” he said.
Law said PSDs serve as a barrier between passengers and the tracks and therefore minimise the risk of accidents.
“They also reduce the chances of people accidentally dropping or leaving objects on the tracks, and are part of modern safety measures,” he said.
“The gates themselves must include visual and audio alerts to notify passengers about their impending closure and opening.”
Malaysian Road And Transportation Safety Association president Md Hairolazaman Muhamed Nor said PSDs are essential for both user safety and operational efficiency.
“By virtually eliminating the risk of track intrusions, PSDs minimise service disruptions while also allowing trains to enter stations at higher speeds safely,” he said.
