PETALING JAYA: Delays to the LRT Shah Alam Line have not resulted in additional costs to the government, says Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah.
Instead, he said the contractor is liable to pay RM2.729mil in liquidated damages for each day the project is delayed.
“There has been no increase in costs, as this project is being implemented under a fixed-price turnkey contract.
“The project is one of the government’s strategic investments to strengthen the country’s public transport infrastructure and is expected to serve as a catalyst for greater public transport usage in Malaysia,” he told the Dewan Rakyat during a question-and-answer session.
Prasarana Bhd first announced plans for the LRT Shah Alam Line in 2013, with construction beginning in 2016.
The project was halted two years later for a review following a change in government and concerns over funding.
It was subsequently allowed to proceed, with six planned stations dropped as well as less train sets and coaches purchased, among others, as part of a cost-cutting exercise.
Now that the line has begun operations, work to construct five reinstated stations is expected to start this year, and take about five years to complete.
To a supplementary question from Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad Jan (PN-Permatang Pauh), who asked whether the cost-cutting decision would cause overcrowding, Hasbi said the system currently has sufficient capacity to meet projected demand until around the year 2040.
He said average daily ridership is projected to reach 67,260 passengers in 2026, 126,000 in 2030, 219,100 in 2040 and 324,000 in 2050.
“The current phase is intended to meet demand up to 2030,” he added.
He said the project has a second phase, which is to bring back five scrapped stations and add seven train sets to the line.
The five stations to be reinstated are Tropicana, Raja Muda, Temasya, Bukit Raja and Bandar Botanik.
The 37.8km Shah Alam Line, which costs RM16.63bil, began service yesterday.
