This would increase passenger confidence in the services, said Rosli Azad Khan, the managing director of the MDS consultancy group.
Speaking to FMT, he suggested:
- The enforcement of temperature screening at stations and terminals;
- The installation of systems that would improve air circulation in trains;
- The enforcement of rules for hand sanitisation and the wearing of masks;
- The installation of digital systems to capture live passenger data and manage queues; and
- The regular cleaning and disinfection of transport vehicles.
He noted a global trend of dependence on private vehicles because of a lack of social distancing rules on public transportation.
“It would be a huge step back if more people rely on their private cars instead of public transport,” he said. “This will result in a substantial impact on carbon emissions, the environment and the liveability of cities.”
He also noted that some cities around the world had met the challenge of imposing social distancing rules by widening pavements at stations and terminals.
He urged the government to provide infrastructure that would encourage walking and cycling for short trips in urban areas, noting that the Paris local authority had introduced 650km of new bicycle lanes.
“This is like introducing a new culture in mobility,” he said. “Malaysia should adopt a similar approach in order to control the use of cars until such a time that people are more confident to revert to using public transport.”
The freeing of the transport industry from restrictions under the movement control order was announced on June 11.
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