There’s been much discussion about the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) aerotrain recently, mainly because it has experienced 19 disruptions in just three months (July – September), and its 21st earlier this week. Naturally, passengers and netizens were outraged, expressing their disappointment that the RM456 million upgrade has done little to improve the service.
Many also suspected that Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) had prioritised meeting the project deadline over ensuring reliability, which led to the frequent technical issues. Following public backlash, Transport Minister Anthony Loke addressed the matter in Parliament on Wednesday (29th October).
Loke expressed his disappointment and instructed that MAHB be held accountable for the ongoing disruptions. “Yes, I admit the incident was embarrassing. I felt ashamed watching passengers drag their luggage along the track. I am angry, and I share the disappointment expressed by members of this House,” he said. He added that MAHB must hold the contractors accountable for failing to deliver the expected level of service.
The minister also confirmed that the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) will conduct an investigation into the latest breakdown. If the operators are found to have breached licensing conditions, they could face fines of up to RM250,000 per offence. However, such action can only be taken once the investigation is complete and if it is deemed the most appropriate course of action.
That said, Anthony Loke reassured the public that despite the repeated service disruptions, the aerotrain system has maintained a 99% operational reliability rate over the past 3 months. Meanwhile, the CEO of My Mobility Vision, Afiq Redzuan, told reporters that MAHB should be more transparent with passengers whenever the aerotrains experience technical issues. “The public is concerned about whether lessons will finally stick, whether accountability will finally mean something, and whether an ‘independent review’ will truly be independent or merely another box-ticking exercise,” he said.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Should MAHB just suspend the aerotrain service until the problem is resolved?
