SET FOR EASIER RUNNING AFTER THE LONG CRAWL
AUTHOR; MINDERJEET KAUR
One of the solutions to our perrenial problem in transportation is the North-South Expressway. The longest highway in Malaysia ang probably the most profitable too.
An interesting article and trying to piece out the challenges ahead. PLUS,the acronym for Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan, the operator of the numerous toll booths stringing the whole stretch of the highway, is said to be facing imminent challenge from various other projects now under cnstruvtion. PLUS is also the builder of this state-of-the art highway. As they wholly financed the construction of this infrastructure, they are also given the right to collect toll from users.
Another highway,the West Coast Highway is now vigorously constructed and there is the double-tracked railway from Johore up to Southern Thailand. A real challenge indeed.
The various amenities constructed by PLUS along the highway are for the good of its users. On normal days these amenities are well utilised. However, during festive seasons things got crammed up and unpleasant experiences are publicly chronicled, and, on live TV too.
This abstarct will try to highlight what happens during festive seasons and why do we need other forms of transport.
Malaysians, generally, loved to go back home and celebrate the various festivals that we have. Being multi-racial, we celebrate one another''s festivals. Muslim joined fellow chinese in their New Year celebration. Non-Christians joined in the celebration of Christmas and so on. Hence, these are times when our roads are jammed and our journey inevitably slowed to a crawl. So much for our ultra-modern infratsructures.
Well, what to do next?
Build a double-track railway and another highway. See, so easy. Of course we got the money too, you know!
So far so good, until the builder of those highways decided to get a few bucks more by raising the toll. Of course, being good businessman there are thousand reasons given behind the decision to hike the toll. You, dear readers, knew as well as i do what those reasons are.
And what next? The Parliament convenes. Our YBs or Parliamentary Represenratives will take their turns shouting and scolding the company concerned. Some never even got their sentences right, grammar-wise of course. Come to think of it. Why do we bother to choose these individuals who cannot speak proper Malay or Bahasa Malaysia. Please, do not ask me about their standard of English. One thing i dare say is, sometimes it made me laugh.
The word is
congestion. Thats what we are after. We just want to ease that phenomenon. Likewise thats what we felt like doing when we tune on to our TV and came across our YBs trying their best at debating.
Oh, our voters! Those poor souls. How can they make you choose these people.
Be that as it may, our highways are really good. Come over and see it.