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KLANG (June 28): The Ministry of Transport has identified several areas around stations along the Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3) Shah Alam Line for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD).
Its Minister, Anthony Loke, said that among the potential areas are the Seri Andalas, Kayu Ara, Bandar Bukit Tinggi and Johan Setia stations, which have large areas for the development of commercial centres or affordable housing.
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“In the past, it was just park and ride and the land was not optimised. Say for example the space is for 600 vehicles, it will only benefit these 600 vehicles because those using LRT will usually park their vehicles from morning to night.
“… so, even if there are 600 parking bays, it will only benefit those 600 vehicles as the spaces are occupied throughout the day. So, we need to review this, as the government’s policy is for us to optimise the use of land and this TOD concept,” he said.
He said this at a press conference after the launch of the LRT3 Shah Alam Line here today, which was also attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
Loke said any development in these areas will involve the cooperation of the private sector in ensuring the public get to enjoy the development benefits following the construction of the facility.
He said Prasarana Malaysia Bhd (Prasarana) also plans to add five more stations for the Shah Alam Line, namely at Tropicana, Raja Muda, Temasya, Bukit Raja and Bandar Botanik, with construction expected to begin at the end of this year.
Earlier, Anwar, during his speech at the launch, called for Prasarana-owned land located near public transport stations to be developed into public housing projects under the TOD concept.
He said developments in strategic areas near LRT and MRT stations must also prioritise adequate parking facilities and commercial spaces for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs.
He said the approach would not only reduce commuting costs and increase the use of public transport, but would also have the potential to generate better commercial returns.
At the event, Anwar also announced that the LRT3 Shah Alam Line will offer free rides to all passengers for one month starting tomorrow (June 29) until July 31.
The Prime Minister added that the free fare initiative will also apply to Prasarana-operated feeder bus services along the Shah Alam Line.
The LRT3 Shah Alam Line, from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia, is set to benefit two million residents along the 37.8-kilometre (km) route.
Prasarana is targeting a daily ridership of 67,000 passengers in its first year of operations, and rising to 117,708 passengers per day within five years.
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