The LRT route between the Masjid Jamek and Bandaraya stations had been closed since January last year due to safety concerns caused by structural damage to the viaduct and pier near the Bandaraya station.
At the reopening of the route today, Loke said Prasarana is seeking RM38 million to cover the cost of the repairs and other additional costs borne by the rail operator.
“The costs involved will be claimed from the developer and site owner through legal proceedings,” he told a press conference at the Bandaraya LRT station.
“The ministry ordered Prasarana to carry out the repairs first, and then claim for compensation.
“If we were to have waited for the compensation first, it would have resulted in an even longer delay (in reopening the route).”
The repairs were completed on Dec 30 last year, with several tests carried out by consultants from Jan 1 to Feb 16 to ensure the repairs comply with operational standards, and meet safety and reliability requirements.
In a statement today, LRT operator Rapid Rail said it targets its average daily usage to increase from 155,000 to 200,000 by the end of the year now that the route between the two stations has been reopened.
It added that train frequency during peak hours will return to normal with a waiting time of three minutes for stations in the central business district (CBD) and six minutes for stations outside the CBD.
‘A lesson for us’
Last year, Loke was reported to have said that the investigation into the structural damage on the Ampang LRT line found that it was caused by ground movement believed to be the result of construction work at a site next to the Bandaraya station for a proposed hotel project.
He said Prasarana would take legal action to recover the cost of repair works and impact caused by the disruption, adding that the ministry was also mulling legal action against the developer as the construction was believed to have started without first engaging the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad).
At today’s press conference, Loke said this incident was “a lesson for us” and that moving forward, Apad and Prasarana must be involved in the approval process for any construction project within a 250-metre radius of public transport stations.
He added that strict conditions must be set should Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) allow the construction project which caused the damage to resume.
“We have to make sure there will be no more damage. Any minor damage can affect our operation. We truly regret that we had to close the route between these two stations for (over) a year,” he said.
“Prasarana will monitor all stations to make sure this doesn’t happen again. This will be a lesson for us to be more careful.”