Posts filed under 'Transportation'
After the recent fuel price hike that caught most Malaysians by heart attack, many sectors are started to take advantage to increase price of products and services. While inflated prices is expected, but some greedy Malaysians are exploiting this opportunity to gain leaping profits; increasing prices by 30% even though the actual impact is only 5-10%.
Last weekend, I’ve done quick verbal check on taxi fares with some taxis at Melaka Mall and Melaka Sentral. With comparison to the fares that I’ve learned before fuel price hike, the finding shows that most of the taxis surveyed have already increased their so-called “standard faresâ€, by average of RM1 or RM2, for destinations within Melaka town.
My question is, are these taxis affected by the fuel price hike? Correct me if I’m wrong; from my knowledge, most if not all, of the taxis in Melaka Tengah are already fixed with NGV parts to run on natural gas for vehicle. And the fact is, price of NGV is NOT affected by the recent fuel price! It’s only RM0.635/litre.
On what basis are the taxi operators inflating their fares, when the operating cost remains the same?
Take for example, the taxi fare from Melaka Mall to Bukit Beruang, which is only a journey of about 2.6km, was charged at RM7 (again, according to the so-called “standard rateâ€). However, after the fuel price hike, the same journey will now cost RM8! This is a lot more expensive than the metered taxis in Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley. As comparison, for the same distance in KL and Klang Valley, we will only be charged about RM5 by metered taxi.
If the Melaka state government is serious about tourism sector (I’m sure they are), public transport regulation should never be over-looked. After all, to many tourists, public transport is still the main reliance during their stay in Melaka. Can’t the authority take any regulatory measure on this issue? Frankly speaking, personally I find taxi fares in Melaka to be very expensive, and it’s getting unreasonable now. There’s no guideline to follow, but only the so-called standard fares set among the taxi operators in Melaka. They form the “standardsâ€.
To be fair, there are still some reasonable taxi drivers in Melaka. I’ve met some, and experienced some for myself. However, this group of taxi drivers charging reasonable fare, is too few of them. And in most instances, they are not welcomed by other taxi drivers, to offer service at popular places like Melaka Sentral.
Poor Intra-city Bus Routes
Among all the public transport infrastructures in Melaka, Melaka Sentral is the facility that I’m proud of, being a Malaccan. It’s a very comfortable bus terminal, and I would say one of the best in Malaysia.
On the opposite end, intra-city buses are still the poorest public transport infrastructure in Melaka. In order to maximize profit margin, most of the bus operators are planning for 1 route that covers about 20 stops, and end up taking about 30 minutes just to reach a destination.
Imagine this: you need to wait 20 minutes (don’t be surprised there are still many places that require you to wait for 30 minutes) for a bus, and it takes you another 20 minutes to reach a destination in Melaka town. Yet, the destination should only take 5 minutes if better route is available as alternative.
How big is Melaka town? Spending 40 minutes to an hour to reach a destination by public buses, is not really favorable.
Well, I don’t blame the bus operators. They are coming from the profit maximization point of view, which is a normal practice. But I’m sure the government can do something about it to improve public transport efficiency. Isn’t the saving gaining from petrol subsidy withdrawal meant to be invested into improving public transports in Malaysia?
June 23rd, 2008
Except the local residents, not many people know about the existence of Batu Berendam Airport in Melaka. Currently, the runway is too short for big aircraft. This airport has got its earth breaking ceremony on 1 Apr 2006, and will be completely upgraded in 30 months.
Batu Berendam Airport is occupying 141 acres of land. Under this expansion, the runway will be upgraded from 1,372M length and 37M width, to 2,045M length and 45M width. Besides, it can also allow Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircrafts to land.
New Facilities
The existing terminal complex will be completely removed, and reconstructed with a 7,000M-square new terminal equipped with international-standard amenities to cater the modern needs.
The old control tower will also be replaced with new construction, and complemented with various advanced aeronautic devices.
Both ends of the runway will be installed with proper facilities to guide night landing, and better assure the safety in bad weather conditions.
Chief Minister Hopes for Shorter Construction Time
Though the expansion is planned to be completed in 30 months, but the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Ali Rustam, hopes the plan to be developed in 18 months.
In comparison, the new LCC (Low Cost Carrier) Terminal in Sepang was completed in 9 months.
AirAsia Sees New Coverage
AirAsia, the most successful low cost carrier in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, is keen to fly to Indonesia from the Batu Berendam Airport, once the expansion is completed.
Tourism, education and economic development sectors will also be benefiting from the expansion, as airway public transport is getting far more accessible than before.
At present, The Malaysian Flying Academy (MFA) is occupying the major part of Batu Berendam Airport.
April 4th, 2006
If you are driving to Melaka, one of the most important differences to take note of is the parking system.
Effective from 16 May 2005, Majlis Bandaraya Melaka Bersejarah (MBMB), the municipal council of Melaka, has implemented the coupon parking system and phased out the coin-fed meter posts. In other words, at most of the public parking spaces, you will need parking coupon or you risk being summoned.
The parking coupon comes in 2 types – RM0.40 for 30 minutes (blue color booklet) and RM0.60 for 1 hour (red color booklet).
Where Can You Purchase Parking Coupon?
- Majlis Bandaraya Melaka Bersejarah, MBMB (click here for location map)
- Authorized resellers
If you have not purchased parking coupons from MBMB, you can still easily get it from authorized resellers at any place nearby to parking area. Just ask around the shops, and you will be able to locate the nearest reseller within walking distance.
So, be sure to arm yourself with a few booklets of parking coupons if you are driving in Melaka.
March 20th, 2006
Pictures of Melaka Sentral at Flickr
If you are traveling to Melaka by bus, the bus and taxi terminal is undeniably one of the main landmarks greeting your presence in Melaka. In May 2004, a sparkling new building called Melaka Sentral located in Peringgit was commenced, and it signifies the beginning of a new age of developed public facilities in Melaka.
If you have been to Melaka via public express bus prior to May 2004, you probably still remember the olden days of the dilapidated bus terminal at Jalan Tun Ali, which was sitting along the riverbank of Melaka River. During that time, rainy day is practically not a good time to board as your body will be getting wet; neither sunny day is comfortable, as the waiting area was warm and uncomfortable. However, all these inconveniences are now a history. Melaka Sentral is practically one of the best bus terminals in Malaysia.
Transportation Terminal
The establishment of Melaka Sentral has shifted the paradigm of public transports in Melaka. The RM61 million fully air-conditioned building designed with modern architecture is now the central terminal for the following transportation modes:
Traveling between major towns in Malaysia, such as Johor Bahru, Batu Pahat, and Muar of Southern Peninsula; Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Klang, and Subang of Central Peninsula; Ipoh, Butterworth, Alor Setar and Perlis of West Coast Peninsula; Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu, and Kota Bahru of East Coast Peninsula. Direct transitions to Singapore and Hat Yai of Thailand are also available.
Transiting on various routes of various places in Melaka. Practically every places in Melaka is reachable with domestic bus, but some of the less popular routes are offered at irregular interval.
Readily available anytime for a quick ride. Taxis offering a ride to KLIA can also be found at Melaka Sentral. For your information, taxi services in Melaka are not metered. Thus, be sure to confirm for an agreed charge before boarding.
Domestic Bus Services are yet to Be Improved
Though the intercity express bus services found in Melaka Sentral are serving at satisfying level, and some even of superb quality, but the domestic bus services in the state are still generally rated at poor satisfaction at present. Bus leaving and arriving without according to schedule, dirty seats and errant bus operators are just some examples of frequently heard complaints.
Facilities at Melaka Sentral
In addition to busses and taxis, the Melaka Sentral is equipped with a comfortable waiting area for each terminal.
Filling your noisy tummy is never a problem at Melaka Sentral. Fast food outlets like A&W and Marry Brown are available, and local cookeries can also be found at the twenty-six units of food court at decent price.
ATM (Automated Teller Machine) are also readily available in Melaka Sentral should you need to withdraw some cash before boarding.
Besides, the Melaka Sentral complex is also equipped with a number of shop lots offering various products and services, such as cloths, telecommunication goods, eyewear, footwear, and magazines.
Parking at Melaka Sentral? Should not be a hitch as the complex has 1,046 parking spaces - 668 for cars, 364 bays for motorcycles and 14 lots for lorries.
There is also a ticketing counter for AirAsia, the most popular budget air carrier in Malaysia with comprehensive coverage in Southeast Asia countries.
Walking Distance to Tesco Melaka
At the Melaka Sentral, you will surely notice a bridge crossing the busy traffic of Jalan Tun Razak. This is the RM4.59 million pedestrian bridge which links Taman Cempaka and Tesco Hypermarket with the Melaka Sentral. This facility has made Tesco Hypermarket such an easily accessible destination, if you were to wait for your scheduled trip.
RM2 Daily Fare - Panorama Bus
In Melaka, there are also red colour buses called Panorama, serving Melaka town route, at daily flat rate. Single-deck Panorama is charging RM2 per day, while the double-deck (think of Double-Decker Mamee) Panorama is charging at RM5 per day. Click here to download Panorama route map.
March 15th, 2006
