YOURSAY | Crowded trains will defeat fight against pandemic

YOURSAY | ‘If you reduce capacity and frequency of trains, won't there be more people at the stations?’

Commuters alarmed by packed trains after reduced frequency

Hmmm: We really need people with brains to run our country. Right now, we cannot even get our public transportation planning right. And the government has totally lost control over the pandemic.

Their standard operating procedures (SOPs) are not considered properly. It is okay to reduce the capacity of the trains. But in so doing, you must increase the frequency, not reduce it.

Any primary school kid will be able to tell you that. Why is it that grown men put in charge of such an important department not able to comprehend it?

If you reduce the capacity and frequency of trains, won't there be more people at the stations? How would you then achieve your goal of stopping Covid-19 transmission?

Please think your actions right through to the end. Don't assume that just because you have reduced the capacity of the trains that you have done your part in fighting Covid-19 transmission.

Your action of reducing the frequency has neutralised your earlier action of reducing capacity. In other words, you are just going through the motions and achieving nothing at the end of the day.

Pokokelapa: Public transport is supposed to be a service for the people and not looked at as a profit-making venture.

There were 213 people on the train when the LRT accident occurred, or about 50 people packed in each cabin. That is definitely overcrowding when SOP is supposed to be in force.

OCT: No wonder Selangor and Kuala Lumpur are having high incidents of Covid-19 infections.

Photos have shown that the KLCC station was packed with people when the Light Rail Transit (LRT) collision occurred.

The government can expect Covid-19 cases to increase further given the current situation of crowded stations, buses and trains.

The government cannot fault the rakyat as the cause for the increase in Covid cases. It's the government who is actually putting the rakyat in harm's way by inadequate measures and facilities.

GreenViper4010: It doesn't take a PhD in mathematics to figure out that by reducing the transport frequency, particularly in the LRT/MRT, the result would be an increase in passenger density which is already too high.

The Kelana Jaya line with its two and four coach trains is already crowded during rush hours, made worse by reduced train frequency and the 8pm "closing" time.

While the overcrowding does not explain the accident, it certainly didn't help in keeping casualties low.

Whose fault was that? Someone should be held accountable, whatever the reason.

Apalah: We feel sorry for LRT users packed liked sardines on the train. Did you watch the video or the photos of the station - it was chock-a-block. A sea of people in a confined space. Another cluster in the making.

At the time of the LRT accident, it was around 9pm. Why such a crowd of people during the movement control order (MCO)?

Indeed, has the MCO outcome matched its objectives? If not, then expect the three days moving average curve to keep climbing.

It’s time to restudy why it’s isn’t working and redesign the SOP to cut down people’s movement and crowding in public places.

Anonymous_15897: Reducing the frequency of LRT and the hours of restaurants is going to increase crowding, not reduce it.

Due to fewer trains, more people will be queuing and they will be queuing for a longer time. Fewer trains mean more packed trains. It’s simple logic.

People will be rushing to restaurants and crowding there to tapau (take away) food before it closes. Whereas previously some will buy their food later, now all have to buy food by a certain time.

This idiotic SOP is causing more crowding, not less.

Public Transit Better Than Highways: Reducing the frequency and capacity but receiving the same number of passengers would only lead to an increased density of passengers in trains and buses.

And there was never any enforcement on the 50 percent vehicle capacity rule. Has anyone in the Prasarana board of management ever taken a train or bus before?

Centre View: The authorities should investigate if Prasarana is doing its part to comply with SOP. Just don’t only target small businesses/individuals and harass them.

The high human traffic venues (including malls) can be super spreaders.

EyeInTheSky2021: If you want to reduce capacity, don't reduce frequency. You are back to square one as the trains will be crowded to the maximum.

You should have the frequency as per normal so that this is spaced out. What kind of logic did they come up with? Stupid and silly sounds like it.

Business First: Yes, this is another example of the SOPs that they come up with without thinking.

I can add one more - all food stalls including sundry shops can only open at 8am. Most factories start work at 8am, some even earlier.

Today I noticed many searching for a place to buy their breakfast and they could not do so. Stallholders lose their "main customers" and all those who rely on packed food for breakfast or lunch go hungry.

Well done, Perikatan Nasional (PN) government. Just when you thought that after a year, they would have learnt, these leaders and civil servants who advise them have learnt nothing.

Well, never mind, remember to give them a bonus for all the sacrifice they are making for the country staying at home on full pay.

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