‘BRT project cancelled due to LRT3’

THE proposed Kuala Lumpur-Klang Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project was scrapped due to “overlapping” with the LRT3 line that is under construction, the House was told.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the decision had nothing to do with talk that the project would be plagued with problems.

“The cancellation was decided after detailed observation on the project proposal as well as considering other public infrastructure projects in the Greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley area.

“We found that this BRT project would overlap with the proposed LRT3 project, which covers Bandar Utama to Johan Setia in Klang, via Glenmarie, Shah Alam and Bandar Klang,” she said in reply to Dr Ong Kian Ming (DAP-Serdang).

Nancy said this, however, did not mean that the project was deemed non-beneficial, just that the LRT3 project would have a bigger impact.

Last week, the Government announced the cancellation of the RM2bil project which was meant to run along the Federal Highway.

The RM9bil LRT3 project was launched last year and is due for completion by August 2020.

Meanwhile, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Othman Aziz said the RM55bil East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) will be financially independent within a decade of its launch in 2024.

He said this was based on revenue projections for the ECRL in 2032.

“It is estimated that the ECRL can chalk up a revenue of up to RM2.9bil in 2024. We estimate that the concessionaire can break even and be independent without any injection from the Government by 2032,” he told Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin (BN-Ranau).

Othman said the loan for the rail project to connect Gombak-Port Klang-Tumpat is expected to be repaid within 20 years after its completion.

He also said the ECRL could not rely solely on ticket sales to generate revenue, adding that the ECRL would instead generate revenue from goods and cargo logistic services.

“The ECRL is seen as a game changer as it will bring enormous economic spillover to the communities living along its track,” he said, adding that 200,000 jobs would be created. He said revenue would also come from ECRL retail outlets.