Malaysia, in particular, has been showing positive progress towards encouraging its citizens in using the public transportations. The Malaysian government has the newly launched Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and the integrated transportation hub of Terminal Bersepadu Selatan alongside other well-known and more ‘international’ transportation hubs such as the KLIA2. Highways, on the other hand, are public roads built to cater the needs of the public and shorten the distance or to provide a link between two destinations.
For now, basically, there are three new major expressways or highways in Malaysia and they are East Coast Expressway or Lebuhraya Pantai Timur (LPT), Kajang-Seremban Highway or LEKAS and the Pan Borneo Highway. The LPT started operating on 1 August 2004 connecting the West Coast and the East Coast of the Peninsular of Malaysia. LEKAS was launched on 22 August 2008, connecting Kajang and Seremban. Lastly, the Pan Borneo Highway which was completed way back in 1997 and made it possible to travel between Kuching and Kota Kinabalu by car or bus. Currently, the government is building newer sections of the highway to connect more rural areas in Sarawak.
The Klang Valley MASS Rapid Transit (MRT) project which will be linked with Automatic Train Operation (ATO) consists of 3 lines. The MRT Line 1 for Sungai Buloh-Kajang has been fully operationalised on 17 July 2017. The MRT Line 2 for the Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya link is scheduled to be completed by 2022. Whereas, the final line of MRT Line 3 is still at its planning and development stage.
Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) is located at Bandar Tasik Selatan. TBS is effectively accessible through the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) and Sungai Besi Expressway, and it provides three major rail lines such as Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), Express Rail Link (ERL) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) trains. It is a 24-hour incorporated transportation center point for travellers heading out to more than 150 destinations of north, south, and eastern Malaysia. There are plenty of stores located within the terminal so that people could do some shopping while waiting for the bus.
The new Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) was launched on 2 May 2014. It was built to allow continuous connectivity for local and international low-cost plus to avoid crowds at KLIA. The KLIA2 is designed with greater limit to cater up to 45 million passengers per year, and supplanting the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT). The KLIA Express provide fast train service (non-stop) which could take you from KL Sentral to KLIA in only 28 minutes, and 33 minutes from KL Sentral to KLIA2.
In nutshell, Malaysia’s public transportation is growing rapidly and tremendously like mushrooms after a heavy rain. This, in return, will benefit the citizens of Malaysia economically and socially. Public transportation is the next best thing when you don’t want to worry about where to park your car or getting stuck in the jam. Not only it is cheap, but it is also hassle-free and very convenient to get around in the hustle and bustle of the big city. Further information could be found at https://www.spad.gov.my; http://www.mymrt.com.my; and http://www.llm.gov.my/awam/highway.
