BANDUNG, July 10 — The Selangor government will engage with residents and stakeholders to better understand local travel needs and lifestyles before finalising the proposed Kita Selangor Rail Line, said state executive councillor for investment, trade, and mobility Ng Sze Han.
Following the state delegation’s visit to PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), which operates the Jakarta-Bandung Whoosh service, Ng emphasised the importance of tailoring a rail system to local needs instead of replicating other countries’ models.
“What we love about it is they do not just copy and paste. They also take into consideration the local situation, local culture and the local living pattern and adapt it and then create their own system for this purpose,” he told Media Selangor when met after launch of the inaugural Bandung edition of the Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS@ASEAN), at Pullman Bandung Grand Central here yesterday.
Ng said Selangor intends to adopt a similar approach by expanding public engagements before determining the direction of the proposed rail project.
He said Selangor and the Jakarta-Bandung corridor share similar development characteristics, with their growth more horizontal instead of concentrated in dense city centres.
“It is something we should do back home; to have more engagement with the stakeholders, with the public, to understand the needs and also the local lifestyle that we need to adapt into whatever studies or whatever system we’re going to implement.
“The similarity between Selangor and Jakarta-Bandung is the development pattern.
“Our development pattern is sprawling horizontally, therefore the area of coverage is very big, and how are we going to have public transport which can take care of the first-mile and last-mile connectivity? That is a big challenge,” he said.
Ng added that both regions face similar transport connectivity issues, which creates opportunities to exchange knowledge and explore practical solutions.
“They are having the same challenge over here as well. This is something that I think we can exchange our experience further and work together to see how we can find a better solution for our situation,” he said.
When asked about the progress of the Kita Selangor Rail Line, Ng said the project remains at a preliminary stage in which the state is focused on identifying the most suitable financing and business model.
He said the Selangor government has established two special committees to evaluate the project’s financial and development frameworks.
“We are still exploring different options with different financial institutions as well as the companies to get a better option on how we can do it in the proper manner.
“The state has also formed two special committees — one to study the financial model and another to study the development model, to determine which model will suit Selangor the best,” Ng added.
