London riots mean more travel chaos for commuters
Mirror.co.uk 9/08/2011
Motorists and bus passengers had to contend with numerous road closures today following another night of violence on the streets.
Among roads that remained shut were routes in one of the worst-hit riot areas - Croydon in south east London.
Woolwich Arsenal main line station in south east London was shut, but many of the rail and Tube stations that had to close last night were open today.
London Road in Croydon was closed due to a building fire and the town's Duppas Hill Road was also shut.
A building fire caused Montacute Road in new Addington, south east London, to be closed, while another building fire meant Ripple Road in Barking, east London, was shut.
Other road closures included Tottenham High Road in north London; Madeley Road in Ealing, west London; Rye Lane in Peckham, south London, and Station Road in Barking.
There was better news for London Underground travellers, with Brixton station on the Victoria Line reopening today.
The Unite union's regional secretary for London and eastern region Peter Kavanagh called for urgent support for transport workers from Transport for London after reports that bus drivers had been caught in the middle of the riots.
He said: "We are extremely concerned for the safety of these workers and their passengers.
"Transport for London must now waste no more time. It must do what it was established to do, and that is take the lead on an integrated response to the capital's transport problems.
"This is too serious a matter to be left to the discretion of individual bus companies. We urgently need a consistent, cross-capital response which puts the well-being of the workforce and passengers first."
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Travel disruption (9 August 2011 Last updated at 10:02)
bbc.co.uk
- In Barking, Ripple Road was closed at King Edward's Road, Movers Lane was closed northbound from the A13 towards Ripple Road and Station Parade was closed at Wakering Road near Barking Tube station.
- Ealing Broadway is closed but Ealing Broadway station is open and First great Western has resumed its services.
- In West Croydon, London Road remains closed between Sumner Road and North End on approach to West Croydon station.
- Duppas Hill Road is closed at Warrington Road and there is no Tramlink between East Croydon and Wandle Park.
- Peckham Rye Lane was closed between Peckham High St and Copeland Road.
- In Queensway, Inverness Terrace was closed between Bayswater Road and Inverness Place.
- Tottenham High Road and Bruce Grove remains closed between Monument Way and the Roundway Lordship Lane. Several bus routes are diverted.
- In Enfield, Church Street is closed between Chase Side and Willow Road and there is no access to Silver Street from London Road.
Bukit Timah Railway Station
Tanjong Pagar Railway Station - Four marble statues by Rudolfo Nolli
Source: Wikipedia
KTMB To End Train Service To Tanjong Pagar
By Nur Adila Abdul Wahab
BERNAMA KUALA LUMPUR, June 30(Bernama)
From July 1, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) will end its train service to Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Timah in Singapore. Effective from then, the KTMB service's last stop in the island republic will be the Woodlands Train Check Point (WTCP).
Before handing Tanjong Pagar station back to Singapore's authorities, KTMB organised a 'Singapore Media Exploration' tour on 24-26, last May.
A group of 30 journalists took the opportunity to visit both stations, which bear special significance in KTMB's history in Singapore, in the years before and after the Second World War.
THE FIRST AND LAST
The writer felt a tinge of melancholy as this would be her first and last visit to the Tanjong Pagar station and Bukit Timah depot.
"History will enter a new phase after this," said KTMB's Corporate Communications Senior Manager, Mohd Fazil Ismail, during the railway trip to Singapore.
The media entourage boarded a special trolley at JB Sentral station, for the trip to Singapore. The open-side trolley is typically used to ferry workers for rail-maintenance and other tasks.
The trip to Singapore on the trolley that moved at a speed of 40 km per hour, started at 9.30am, last May 25.
BUKIT TIMAH STATION, RAILWAY DEPOT
Thirty minutes later, the trolley rolled into Bukit Timah station. The journalists were received by Bukit Timah's stationmaster, Atan Ahmad. Johor-born Atan has worked at the station for two years.
He said the station, located near King Albert Park, started operations in 1903. It operates only for the purpose of shunting of train coaches.
"We have no services for passengers at Bukit Timah station. Here, the shunting of trains is done and that is why, we only have two staff here. There are two shifts, 3am-3pm and 3pm-11pm," said Atan, who has served with KTMB for 20 years.
From July 1, Atan will start work in Johor Baharu. The media group was taken to visit the train depot, located close to the Bukit Timah station. The depot is a workshop that carries out maintenance and repair work on locomotives and coaches.
At this depot, the journalists witnessed how the 'turn table' procedure for locomotives was carried out for single-cab trains. The task needs at least two KTMB workers to perform it manually.
UNIQUE FEATURES AT TANJONG PAGAR
After spending about 30 minutes at the depot, the journalists boarded the open-sided trolley headed for Tanjong Pagar station.
This writer and other journalists were surprised by the sight of this unique railway station. Tanjong Pagar station was opened in 1932. About to 80 years old now, it still retains its old-world charm.
Its facade has neo-classical and art-deco features. The station has a large waiting area, ticket counters in the centre, and signage that uses old Malay Romanised spelling.
The waiting area has a classic barrel-vault roof, which is 72 feet high. A mural painting depicting images of 'old Malaya' decorates the station.
TWO OF THEIR KIND
Tanjung Pagar Station Master, Shamsul Bahri Sahari, 43, said this architecture was present at only two railway stations in the world - Helsinki in Finland and Tanjong Pagar, Singapore.
"Despite the fact that this railway station is located outside our country, I am still proud that it was once owned by Malaysia. I will never forget my experience in Singapore. I will tell my children and descendants that the Tanjong Pagar station once belonged to Malaysia," said Shamsul Bahari, who served at Tanjong Pagar for 15 years.
He travelled every weekend, from Tanjong Pagar to Gemas, to meet his family. Shamsul Bahari said, at exactly 11 pm on June 30, the last train will leave Singapore with all 91 KTMB employees deployed at Tanjong Pagar station and Bukit Timah depot. After years of travelling from Singapore and back, KTMB trains will stop plying from Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Timah, starting July 1.
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Singapore, Malaysia formalise land swap deal
Channel NewsAsia's Malaysia Bureau Chief Melissa Goh
27 Jun 2011 2001 hrs (GMT + 8hrs)
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Singapore have officially sealed the Points of Agreement (POA) on Malayan railway land in Singapore.
This heralds a new era in bilateral cooperation that includes the development of a rapid transit system and iconic wellness projects in southern Malaysia.
The historic signing on Monday officially marks an end to year-long negotiations on implementation details that kickstarted after the landmark announcement of the POA breakthrough by the prime ministers of both countries in May 2010.
At a short ceremony in Putrajaya, Malaysia was represented by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nor Mohamed Yakcop, while newly-appointed Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam signed on behalf of Singapore.
The mood was jovial between the ministers and they expressed optimism that the signing will usher in a new era in bilateral cooperation.
Mr Nor Mohamed said: "It's a very happy day. It's a new beginning for us in cooperation in attracting investment. It's excellent for both countries. We are confident this is a new beginning for good cooperation and plenty of investments. Certainly, not only Iskandar will do well but the whole of Malaysia will do well because of confidence factor in attracting foreign investment.''
Mr K Shanmugam said: ''It really takes the relationship to a different level. It's win-win....for both countries and promises much more. In that sense, in every sense, it's historic moment.''
Already, Singapore's investments in the southern economic region of Iskandar have tripled to over US$1.2 billion since May last year.
Under the land swap arrangement in the written instrument signed on Monday, Malaysia was given four parcels of land in Marina South and two more in Ophir-Rochor in exchange for giving up Malayan railway land in Singapore.
A 60-40 joint venture company, called M+S Private Limited, will be set up between Malaysia's Khazanah and Singapore's Temasek to undertake the development of the land parcels in Singapore.
Another 50-50 joint venture company will be set up to develop two iconic wellness projects in Iskandar Malaysia.
Mr K Shanmugam said: "This is a very substantial commitment, this is the first 215 acres; also, don't forget the projects in Singapore which are going to be (worth) billions (of dollars); it's a very significant start.''
Under the agreement, both countries also undertake to improve connectivity by expanding the rapid transit system (RTS) from Singapore to Johor Bahru by 2018.
A joint technical group is targeting to call the tender for a consultancy study on the RTS link by the fourth quarter of 2011.
Malaysia and Singapore are also working towards resolving their differences over whether development charges are payable on three parcels of railway land in Tanjong Pagar , Kranji and Woodlands. This has been referred to the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Separately, as a gesture of goodwill, Singapore will be handing over the waterworks to Malaysia free of charge and in good working order after the expiry of the 1961 Water Agreement. A ceremony will be held to mark the event on 31 August this year.
London Evening Standard, Tuesday 31 May 2011
Rail services to be fined over cattle-truck train services
Rail firms will be fined for running overcrowded trains under plans to ease cattle-truck conditions.
Ministers hope the proposal will force train companies to provide more carriages. Currently there is no incentive for firms to provide extra space because overcrowded services mean lower running costs.
The proposal is part of moves to make commuting more tolerable without taxpayers footing the bill and is set to be included in a Government White Paper later this year. A Whitehall source told the Standard: "We need to look at how we incentivise train companies to invest in new train carriages."
The 10 most overcrowded routes all serve London terminals. Some trains carry two thirds more passengers than they are designed for.
A spokesman for the Association of Train Operating Companies said government changes to franchise agreements would help firms deal with the problem, adding: "Overcrowding is a big concern for train companies - as private sector operators their business relies on keeping customers happy."
N.D. Mohd Mahudin, T. Cox, & A. Griffiths. (2011). Modelling the spillover effects of rail passenger crowding on individual well-being and organisational behaviour. In A. PRATELLI & C.A. BREBBIA (Eds.), Urban Transport XVII, Urban Transport and the Environment in the 21st Century. WIT Transactions on The Built Environment. WIT Press, UK, pp. 227 - 238.
More details here
22 Feb 2011
Source: Regus
Regus survey identifies the seven deadly sins of commuting
In a new survey by Regus, Malaysian commuters have identified the seven deadly sins of commuting that cause them the most stress on the way to work, and undermine their productivity and job satisfaction.
Kuala Lumpur, February 22nd 2011 - Malaysian commuters have identified the seven deadly sins of commuting that cause them the most stress on the way to work, and undermine their productivity and job satisfaction. In a new survey by workspace solutions provider Regus, Malaysian commuters topped the list with bad and dangerous drivers. However, road rage, loud mobile phone conversations and bad smells from other commuters also figured as major stress factors.
In Malaysia, the average one-way commute is 29 minutes, although 15% of Malaysians have to travel over three quarters of an hour each way. Yet the time taken to commute is less of an issue than the commuting experience. No business wants employees turning up to work already exhausted and stressed out, unable to function properly in the working day. The findings of the Regus survey help to identify the major causes of commuting stress across drivers and users of public transport.
William Willems, vice president Southeast Asia and ANZ, Regus, comments, “We can all recognise our own worst experiences in the findings of this survey. Road rage and dangerous driving is a real concern for drivers and pedestrians alike, hence their top billing. Being left in the dark about service interruptions or traffic jams is also a killer for the calm and productive working day. The mobile phone pest also evidently remains with us, with offenders not realising – or caring – that they are ruining many people’s day right from the start. And the insidious power of bad smells to get the day off to a bad start cannot be underestimated.
“Of course, at Regus we advocate flexible working location and hours to avoid all these stresses and strains which can have such an adverse effect on employee’s throughput, motivation and happiness. Travelling to a work location closer to home, especially outside of peak hours, is often the best way to avoid theses stresses for a happier, calmer and ultimately more fruitful days work.
Malaysia’s Seven Deadly Sins of Commuting
1. Bad/dangerous drivers
2. Delays and service interruptions
3. Pollution and overheating
4. Road rage
5. Lack of information from service providers
6. Other commuters’ body odour or bad breath or smelly food
7. People talking too loudly on their mobile phones
For more information contact:
Bryan Joseph
Bond PR
e: bryan@bondpr.com
29 March 2011
By Tim Donovan Political Editor, BBC London
London passengers face years of above-inflation fare rises to pay for Tube and other transport improvements, it has emerged.
New figures show London's mayor and the coalition government plan to shift the burden of meeting the cost of modernising the capital's creaking transport system more firmly onto commuters.
London Mayor Boris Johnson has claimed his negotiations with government "protected" Crossrail, Tube upgrades and concessionary travel for children.
But his latest transport financial plans show that this will be done by insisting on above-inflation fare rises, cuts in staff and using nearly £200m in reserves next year alone.
In the next four years, the proportion of spending on transport shouldered by Tube and bus passengers - as opposed to the government - will increase by 10% to 60%.
And the figures show the extra income will come mainly from raising the price of tickets than through more people using the network.
In its newly-published business plan, Transport for London (TfL) has forecast that the number of journeys made by Tube and bus will rise by about 3%.
Yet income from fares across the transport network will rise by 28%.
'Record' investment
The mayor says "record" investment will help secure London's global competitiveness and economic growth, ensuring Tube upgrades while protecting front-line jobs.
Modernisation of the Jubillee and Victoria lines will be completed by the end of the year, that of the Northern Line by 2014.
"Through negotiations, savings and efficiencies we have done what many believed to be impossible. We have secured the greatest investment in London's transport network in 80 years," he said.
Government grants to London transport projects are being cut by more than £2bn over the next four years.
There's an 8% reduction next year alone.
The mayor has effectively guaranteed transport officials that he will raise fares by 2% above the rate of inflation for the next half decade.
TfL accepts the projected rise in passengers may be optimistic as unemployment and inflation increases.
Its hopes for planned investment will be knocked if the economy fails to recover quickly.
In his budget last week, Chancellor George Osbourne said unemployment would continue to rise to a peak next year, although recent trends suggest the capital suffering less than other regions.
'Soviet-style plan'
More than £150m in bus subsidy will be lost from next year and the subsequent three years although the service will remain "broadly constant".
For the first time, by 2014, TfL claims it will make an operating profit on the Tube - getting more in income than it spends on the day-to-day running of the network.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
These new cuts will drag the underground even deeper into the spiral of decline with breakdowns, failures and disruption a daily fact of life”
Bob Crow RMT General Secretary
The picture for commuters would be bleaker were it not for the huge "savings" the mayor says can be found in the way the capital's transport system is run.
London's transport commissioner Peter Hendy claims he can find cuts of £4bn over the next four years, dwarfing efficiencies of recent years.
The impact will fall, he claims, mainly on "non-operational staff" but unions say it indicates heavy job losses to come.
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: "These new cuts will drag the underground even deeper into the spiral of decline with breakdowns, failures and disruption a daily fact of life.
TSSA leader Gerry Doherty said: "We welcome Boris's dreams for transforming the Tube over the next four years but it does sound more like the opening salvo of his re-election campaign than anything to do with the reality of travelling on the network today.
"They will take Boris's four year Soviet-style plan with a lorry load of salt."
London's Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy said: "The next four years will be among the busiest and most exciting in the history of London's transport network.
Hi added that TfL would insure it was "as efficient and effective as we can be through our £7.6bn savings programme."
Taken from the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit Project website
The railway scheme for the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang line is currently being displayed for public viewing and comment for three months from 14 February 2011 to 14 May 2011 as required under Section 84(3) of the Land Public Transport Act 2010.
Members of the public can view the railway scheme and related documents of the line at the following locations:
Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat
Tingkat 13, Menara Dayabumi
Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin
50050 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603-2278 1222
Bangsar LRT Station
Concourse
Jalan Bangsar
59000 Kuala Lumpur
Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur
Menara DBKL
Jalan Raja Laut
50350 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603-2617 9000
Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam
Tingkat 1, Wisma MBSA
Persiaran Perbandaran
40000 Shah Alam
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel: +603 5510 5133
Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya
Jalan Yong Shook Lin
46675 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel: +603 7956 3544
Majlis Perbandaran Kajang
Menara MPKj
Jalan Cempaka Putih
Off Jalan Semenyih
43000 Kajang
Tel: +603-8737 7899
Majlis Perbandaran Selayang
Menara MPS, Persiaran 3
Bandar Baru Selayang
68100 Batu Caves
Selangor Darul Ehsan
More info:
Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat / Land Public Transport Commission
Address : Level 19, 1Sentral, Jalan Travers, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hotline: 1800 82 6868 (Mondays – Fridays, 9.00am – 5.00pm)
E-mail: feedback@kvmrt.com.my
