What are the accompanying measures that will be needed to prevent the Metro Express from becoming a white elephant given that the road infrastructure is also being improved and the number of cars on our roads continues to increase relentlessly? The just released indicators on Road Transport show a net addition of 11,826 vehicles to the existing fleet for the first semester of 2018. At end of June 2018, there were 543,623 vehicles registered at the National Transport Authority (NTA).
The EDB should come forward with the accompanying measures that will follow the coming into operation of the Metro Express. The population should be prepared for that – a different mindset for both the commuter and car users. Building the Metro is one thing and ensuring that it is operating successfully and efficiently is another.
We hope we will not have to go through the same mess as the measures and penalties to reduce road accidents – going backward and forward. We hope we will have enough time to analyse and discuss these measures.
Our fears are that these measures, which are likely to include many controversial and hard-hitting ones on private car users, will only be announced after the next general elections. They will buy in the electorate by tricking them into taking the sweeter pill first... Short term gains for long term pains!
