CITY TRAIN FOR KOTA KINABALU

A CASE FOR ELEVATED CITY TRAIN FOR KOTA KINABALU

The concept of elevated city train (see headlines in Daily Express, thursday 8th January, 2008) is a must for Kota kinabalu if we are to see efficient movement of people within the city for its future plan. I have through a blog entitled "Mass Transit System KK to 1Borneo" in the SDC Blog (www.sabahcorridor.com) talks about the same concept. A City is a city full of people moving about. These movements must be planned so that people movement will be efficient. In modern days and as proven by experiences of other cities, like Kuala Lumpur, to move people on the ground would not be practical anymore due to the complexities of resolving buildings, land and people's interest, that not only it is already congested but when all approvals obtained to put in more roads or widen them, you would already need to upgrade them again.

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Malaysia (CILTM), Sabah Section, is in full support of what Suria Capital Holdings Bhd Group Managing Director had stated in the Daily today by pointing out several reasons why it should be built. We from CILTM as the body that has interest in the improvement of the quality of transportation needs and services at large, categorically and will see it fit that to build Kota Kinabalu for tomorrow we must start now. The act of shooting down the proposal by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) with cost as the reason is not looking at it from the state point of view and interests. Perhaps this is the time that the state have a say in the matter for the sake of its future. As proven by KTMB itself its Komuter service serves as a mass transportation system from as far as Port Klang and Seremban to Kuala Lumpur. I would not dare to imagine the catastrophic effect on people's movement if this system is not in place.

Here in Kota Kinabalu, we are only talking about very short distance. The Group MD of Suria stated Kota Kinabalu to Lok Kawi yes agree, very scenic. Serving KKIA yes. And we from CILTM is saying provide another avenues from KK in a northerly direction to 1Borneo. It is as scenic, passing through Likas Bay and serving a lot of activity areas such as government comlplexes, residential areas and of course our very own university, University Malaysia Sabah (UMS), before reaching 1Borneo. How far is the distance that we are talking about? hardly 10 kilometres.

Another issue which we would like raised up, is, with elevated train it is time to get these trains into the city again and not stop at Tg Aru or worse still that they are considering to move it further from the city at either Putatan or Lok Kawi. This is going back into medieval days. Kota Kinabalu must move with the changing times. If Kuala Lumpur is the capital city, Kota Kinabalu being the second busiest airport in the country has a case at hand.

Please everyone, The Ministry of Infrastructure Development, the State Economic Planning Unit, UMS and all NGO's, let us put our heads together and say it in a single voice that we want this system.

Hj Ramli Amir
Chairman
The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Malaysia, Sabah Section.