KTM is more known for its delays and overcrowded carriages. While it’s supposed to be a straightforward way to travel, many now view it as the last resort.
But traffic jams are a pain, everyone knows that. So, hoping to dodge the evening gridlock, a Malaysian DJ thought, “Why not hop on the KTM from Mid Valley City?”
He shared a photo of his ticket, purchased at 5:53pm from the Midvalley station, with Taman Wahyu as the destination.
Deja vu hits hard
Little did he know he’d be in for a bit of déjà vu.
He stood waiting from 6 pm to 7 pm, with the platform filling up but no train in sight.
He took to Facebook to share his exasperation.
This was eerily similar to an incident 12 years ago when, fresh from his Taiwan studies and carless, he had an hour-long standoff with time at a KTM station.
That ordeal made him vow to stay away from KTM.
“Why does the KTM still feel stuck in the past?”
“Years have rolled on since. We’ve seen different Prime Ministers and Transportation Ministers, all promising to revolutionize public transport.”
“Yet, the KTM seems frozen in time. An entire rush hour evening, and not a single train?”
It made him reflect on the service’s efficiency and its regard for the commuting public.
To top it all, the Transportation Ministry keeps nudging folks to abandon cars in favor of public transport.
His take on this: It’s one thing to promote public transit, but the system needs to be reliable first.
“There is a timetable actually”
A netizen highlighted that the KTM was actually adhering to its schedule, which can be found on their website.
The netizen explained, “The time you entered the station, marked in red, unfortunately falls between two scheduled trains: the previous one at 5:35pm and the next one at 7:03pm, with your entry time being 5:53pm.
The DJ later admitted that he failed to check the timetable online. However, he believes the issue isn’t solely about the waiting. There isn’t even a poster displaying the timetable, let alone a digital board updating the next arrival time, as seen in MRT stations.
Navigating train schedules becomes a guessing game, leaving new passengers in the dark about potential delays or cancellations.
With the rise of ride-sharing platforms and improved bus services, those who have the option are increasingly choosing to sidestep the KTM altogether.
However, for many Malaysians, especially those with economic constraints, KTM remains their primary mode of commute, leaving them with little choice but to contend with its shortcomings.
The growing dissatisfaction with KTM underscores the need for urgent reforms and revitalization of what was once a key pillar of Malaysia’s transportation infrastructure.
