On my last trip to Ipoh town in Peninsular Malaysia transit at Kuala Lumpur Internatioin Airport (KLIA), I had another first-hand experience on what is bad as far as public transport is concerned.
A good public transport system must not only provide physical infrastructure and network, but also easy access to information pertaining to its services, in addition to common ticketing and reasonable fares.
I was first searching for a direct flight to Ipoh transit Kuala Lumpur through the MAS Online Air Ticket website. Unfortunately, only one flight was available and the timing wasn't fit into my schedule. I was then look for information on buses. Unable to buy bus ticket over the net from the major service provider, I end up calling a friend in Kuala Lumpur to purchase the bus ticket for me. Here is my final route plan:
KLIA -> KL Sentral via ERL - MYR35.00 one way.
Hentian Duta Bus Station -> IPOH Medan Gopeng Station - MYR13.00 one way.
(Right Photo: Triton bus at Ipoh Medan Gopeng station)
Many people have been wondering, as to why the KL Sentral Station and Hentian Duta are separated by a few kilometres. Why can't the bus station be sited together with the central interchange?
A friend was willing to fetch me from KL Sentral, other wise, the KL Sentral - Hentian Duta route is estimated to cost another MYR15.00 by taxi.
Upon arrival at KLIA, I was quick to find out that actually there is a direct bus from KLIA to IPOH by Triton Bus, at MYR42.00 one way. (After the trip, I found out from Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad website that the Triton Bus Company has been given a feeder bus licence) How I wish that the bus service information was shown on the MAS Air Ticket website.
Since there was plenty of time left for the bus to Ipoh, I enquired for the fare and schedule for KLIA to Hentian Duta Airport Couch. To my surprise, the fare is MYR20.00 one way for a 1.5 hour drive, which is more expensive then the Hentian Duta - Ipoh trip which is further and takes 2.5 hour roughly. The Airport Couch is available at one hour interval.
I touched down at KLIA at 8:20am, and reached Ipoh Medan Gopeng bus station at 3:30pm, after three exchanges - KLIA, KL Sentral, Hential Duta. Yes, although it was smooth and right on schedule, it wasn't that convenient at all.
It is time for public transport operators - especially Air, Rail and Bus, and the terminal operators - Airport, Rail/Central Station and Bus Station, to integrate their physical premises, network, information and fare.
An excellent example for the Malaysian governement would be Openbaar Vervoer Reisinformatie in the Netherlands, operating a website called Netherlands OV Planner (http://www.9292ov.nl).
Openbaar Vervoer Reisinformatie was founded in 1992, in collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Transport and all Public Transport Companies (PT) in the Netherlands (the Dutch Railways, the Dutch association of regional transport companies and the Dutch association of urban transport companies), to collect data from all PT companies and integrate this into a PT journey planner in order to provide the Dutch public transport travellers with integrated door-to-door PT travel information and to attract more people to travelling with Dutch Public Transport. The Dutch Ministry of Transport obliged all PT-companies by law to deliver the data to OV Planner.
Reference Links:
Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 35 (pp.21–27)
Feature: Urban Railways in Asia
Rail Transportation in Kuala Lumpur, Hilmi Mohamad
http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr35/f21_moh.html
Ipoh to KLIA
6:00am, 11:30am, 2:30pm & 7:30pm (Triton Express: 05-2540124)
http://www.cameronhighlands.com/Articles/Blog/Cameron_Highlands_Bus_Schedule/
Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad
http://www.malaysiaairports.com.my/index.php?ch=18&pg=36&ac=120
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