Centre to train skilled talent for rail industry

The government has outlined wide-ranging improvement initiatives for land transport services from this year onwards.

Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chief executive officer Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah said the initiatives included setting up a National Rail Centre of Excellence (NRCOE), as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak during the tabling of the 2018 Budget, as well as Express Bus Safety, Integrated Common Payment System (ICPS) and a journey planner app.

“The NRCOE, which will be supervised by SPAD, will be set up to support the development of a skilled workforce for the rail industry.

“For all the projects that have been done by the government, we need to ensure that we have the talent to construct, operate and maintain the rail industry.

“Therefore, the centre will train and accredit personnel for skilled jobs in the national rail sector,” he said, adding that 100,000 skilled workers were needed in the next 10 years.

On Express Bus Safety, he said SPAD would monitor bus drivers to ensure they did not drive beyond permitted hours.

“We are setting up a system using biometric controls. It will allow operators to keep tabs on drivers,” he said at a media briefing on the 2017 Land Public Transport Report Card.

During the 2018 Budget announcement, RM45 million was allocated for the setting up of a biometric control system.

To make things more convenient for commuters and to keep up with technology, Azharuddin said ICPS would be introduced to let passengers travel on different rail networks and transport modes with one ticket.

“The plan to have one transit card, which can be used across Mass Rapid Transit, Light Rail Transit, monorail and KTM Komuter, will be completed by the middle of next year.

“We will also to pilot test a mobile payment system, using QR Codes, this year.”