KUALA LUMPUR: A more reliable and integrated public transport system for urban dwellers, especially those in the highly congested Klang Valley, which would achieve 25% public transport modal share by 2012 is a key goal under the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).

Improving urban transport is one of the six Key Performance Indicators (KPI) set under the GTP and led by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

It will focus on addressing woes of those in cities and towns who suffer from congestion on daily commutes in addition to frequent delays and cancellations, and poor connectivity between transportation lines.

One of its key goals is to provide better accessibility for commuters so that 75% of the population in the Klang Valley lives within 400 metres of a public transportation route by year-end, from 63% at present.

Other goals include increasing capacity on public train lines, improving reliability and journey times, as well as enhancing comfort and convenience.

The GTP Roadmap report said public transport’s share of all transport modes had been dropping over the years to 10%-12% at present from 20% in 1997 and 34% in 1985. The present modal share is 10%, although the government plans to increase it to 13% by year-end.

To achieve 25% public transport modal share, the government plans to increase passenger capacity on the KTM Komuter and LRT lines by 1.7 to four times, depending on the line, and by dedicated rights-of-way for buses across 12 major corridors in the Klang Valley.

It will also encourage use of public transport through a one-ticket system to be introduced by year-end. The “1Ticket, 1Seamless Journey” project would be launched for all the 16 public transport operators so commuters can access public transport with just one special pass or ticket.

The GTP Roadmap report said removing heavy vehicles from the central business district (CBD) would also increase public transport efficiency, as would creating three major integrated transport terminals (ITTs) outside the city, namely in Bandar Tasik Selatan, Gombak, and potentially, Sungai Buloh.

It added that 14 Hentian Akhir Bandar (HABs) would facilitate the movement of passengers and public transport vehicles within the city centre to reduce congestion and streamline overlapping routes.

A final step to increase use of public transport would be to ensure that regulatory restructuring, by way of the proposed Land Public Transport Authority (SPAD), will be fully operational by the end of this year.

“Currently, 12 ministries and various agencies are involved in different aspects of public transport, and no single industry captain coordinates efforts across the entire system,” said the report.

Successful transportation initiatives in the Klang Valley would then be applied to Penang and Johor Bahru.

The GTP Roadmap acknowledged that historically, the approach to urban transport was to “build (our) way out of congestion” and that a shift to prioritising efficient movement of people instead of the movement of vehicles was needed.

It added that about 60% of the increase in public transport ridership would be by rail, while buses would still play its role as last-mile service providers through feeder services and moving from the suburbs into the city centres.