MRT in talks with car park owners

I REFER to “Lower the fees at MRT car parks” (Letters, Jan 17). I would like to thank William Yap for using the MRT service and giving his feedback. His support for the project is very much appreciated.

The park and ride facility for the Bandar Utama MRT Station is under the ownership of Bandar Utama City Corporation Sdn Bhd (BUCC), which owns the 1Powerhouse building within which the park and ride facility is located.

This was the result of certain arrangements between Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp), the owner of the MRT Project, and BUCC as a means to overcome issues with regard to land acquisition during the construction of the project.

Such an arrangement where the park and ride facility is owned by another party and not by MRT Corp is by no means an unusual arrangement. MRT Corp had entered into similar agreements with other owners of land next to the Sungai BulohKajang Line’s stations for similar facilities.

The owner of the park and ride facility is in full control of the facility, including determining the parking rates. However, MRT Corp had encouraged these owners to charge a reasonable fee, especially for those who use the MRT (as opposed to those who park at the facility but do not board the MRT).

Most of the owners, but unfortunately not all, had agreed to comply with this request.

MRT Corp is still holding talks with BUCC to work out a solution to the parking rate issue for MRT users who park at the Bandar Utama MRT Station’s park and ride facility.

The park and ride facilities owned by MRT Corp charge RM4.30 per day per entry for MRT users. An hourly parking rate is charged for those who park there but do not use the MRT.

We believe Yap’s view is shared by many others who hope to make the MRT a part of their daily commute. Such feedback on the parking charges, we believe, could also be forwarded to the owners of the park and ride facility, urging them to reconsider the parking rates.

Datuk Najmuddin Abdullah Director Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Relations MRT Corp