There’s been quite a lot of disruption recently with our public transport services. Over the weekend, the MRT Putrajaya Line encountered problems after it was discovered that a large number of fibre optic cables had been cut and stolen near Kuchai Station. Prior to that, passengers were left stranded for nearly 3 hours after a foreign object fell onto the train tracks.
It seems that this latest issue has caused quite a stir online, as it’s part of an ongoing problem that has shown little to no improvement. You guessed it, the Aerotrain at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has broken down once again, forcing passengers to disembark halfway to their destination. Here’s what happened:
According to China Press, the KLIA Aerotrain experienced disruptions earlier this morning (Tuesday, 28th October). Stranded passengers, along with their families, had no choice but to disembark and walk along the platform beside the tracks in the dark, carrying their luggage. The incident understandably sparked outrage among passengers on board the train, as well as netizens who pointed out that this has been an ongoing issue.
Many criticised both the Transport Ministry and the airport authorities for launching the service despite it clearly not being ready, citing the numerous times it has experienced some form of disruption. Others questioned how the aerotrain could cost millions of ringgit in upgrading its efficiency, but it is still not as reliable as it should be to this day.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) issued an official statement to address the recent incident, stating that the latest disruption was caused by an issue with the power system, which falls under the responsibility of IPJV, and confirmed that proactive measures have been taken. Still, this explanation doesn’t fully address public concerns over the frequent technical problems. For context, according to previous reports, the KLIA Aerotrain has experienced a total of 19 disruptions between July and September. The most recent breakdown before this occurred in August and was also due to technical issues.
“The Kuala Lumpur Airport Shuttle Tram project is currently under a two-year defects liability period. At present, the mechanical and signalling systems of the shuttle tram are in the initial stages of adjustment to achieve full operational stability,” said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah in Parliament earlier this month. Have you faced any disruptions riding the aerotrains? Share your experience of using the service.
Sources: China Press, TheVibes, MalayMail, NST
