The chaos in Klang Valley began on Tuesday evening (8th November) when the LRT line stopped running. Regular commuters struggled to find transport home while traffic got much heavier as many resorted to using the roads as an alternative. Unfortunately, the trouble didn’t stop there.
It was later announced that sixteen stations would be out of service until 15th November. The news has left most dissatisfied and upset with the higher-ups of Prasarana and Rapid Rail. Many have also been sharing their stories of how the line breaking down has impacted them.
Local Twitter has been abuzz with discussions about the issue as netizens turned to the platform to make their voices heard. One Twitter user claimed that the LRT-offered alternatives hadn’t done her much good on Tuesday night either. The user stated that she had resorted to a convoluted route to get home that night.
“From KL, I (had) to take the Monorail to Bukit Bintang. Then, from Bukit Bintang, got on the MRT to Pasar Seni, then waited for the free bus from Pasar Seni to Ara Damansara,” she wrote. Unfortunately, her the last leg of her journey wasn’t as smooth as she had hoped. “The bus driver pulled to a stop by the side of the road on the way to Glenmarie,” she explained. “And we (had) to walk to Glenmarie station (at) 9:19pm.”
The user had reportedly cried upon hearing the announcement as she was exhausted by the entire journey by then. “I cried because I didn’t know when I would (reach) home,” she said, adding that her child had also been waiting for her at home.
As we all know, semalam train station problem. So from kl I have to take monorail to bukit bintang then from bukit bintang naik mrt to pasar seni then kena tunggu free bus from pasar seni to ara damansara.
— Leesa veslee (@leesaveslee) November 9, 2022
While most explained that their lives have been disrupted, others have had their safety compromised. One lady, Nur Sophia (25) shared that she had been robbed the next morning (9th November) at the Sri Rampai LRT station.
According to her Tweet, the incident had taken place in front of a nearby condominium by the station. Sophia had been travelling to work around 7am that morning when she discovered the LRT line was down. As such, she requested her father to pick her up and send her to the office by car.
Sophia later told Astro Awani that she had been approached by two men on a motorcycle. “Those robbers slashed through my backpack and snatched my company’s laptop,” she said. “In the beginning, I refused to let go of my bag. But after the man tore my bag with a knife, I released it before they ran away.” Thankfully, Sophia received no injuries from her ordeal.
https://twitter.com/soph_jes/status/1590253694268108803
#LRTDown is trending & kind Malaysians are offering to car pool.
Safety first please. pic.twitter.com/05ARQccl28
— Richard Ker (@richardker) November 9, 2022
Amidst the frustrating stories being shared online, there is also a silver lining. Netizens have been working together to share and provide alternatives to the entire situation. Some have suggested using the app Moovit for other commute options. Others have also been offering their vehicles for carpooling services.
It’s nice to see Malaysians banding together in this time of need. However, we sincerely hope that the problem will soon be dealt with.
Sources: Twitter (1)(2)(3), China Press, Astro Awani
