CMCO To Continue - Frequency Of Train and Buses To Be Reduced

The news that we were all frankly dreading has been confirmed - the CMCO will be extended for another two weeks up until November 9, 2020.

Before we remind you what you can and cannot do during this period, there is an essential bit of news that we would like to share, and it concerns those who frequently use the public train or bus system.

Prasarana Malaysia, the operators of the LRT, MRT and monorail trains, has announced that the frequency of public trains will be reduced, starting from today, October 28, 2020.

The initial explanation for the reduced frequency was that this was an attempt to help curb the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, but the actual reason behind the reduced frequency of trains is because of demand, following the huge drop in passengers due to the CMCO as reported by Bernama on October 16.

According to Bernama, there has been a drop of over 30 percent in daily passenger volume following the CMCO in the Klang Valley. This includes LRT, MRT, monorail, and buses. A pre-CMCO average of 800,000 has decreased to just over 500,000 while bus passenger volume was down to 200,000 riders per day. 

Prasarana Malaysia (Prasarana) Group chief operating officer Norlia Noah said the company had obtained permission from the transport ministry to offset the frequency of trains. "The LRT, MRT, and monorail services will operate as usual from 6.00 am to midnight, only the frequency will change according to the time and demand," she said in a statement.

Although the announcement informs train users that the frequency of trains will drop, Norlia said that they would be monitoring the situation and have the power to add trains if needed to meet the increase in demand at certain times. 

She also added that the frequency of the Rapid KL bus service and the Jom Naik MRT shuttle bus would also be reduced from tomorrow, but just like the trains, they will monitor the situation.

"Nonetheless, we will continue to monitor the situation closely through our bus control centre. For the convenience of users, we encourage them to use the google maps/moovit application or see the bus real-time at myrapidbus.prasarana.com.my/kiosk to better plan their journey." said the Prasarana Group Chief Operating Officer.

As a reminder, here are some of the S.O.P's and rules that we must adhere to during the CMCO.

• All economic activities are still allowed to operate but, with a few exceptions, can only do so between a window of 6.00 am to 10.00 pm. These timing restrictions also apply to restaurants, food trucks, roadside stalls, food courts, and sundry shops
• Closer to home for us motorists, the majority of petrol stations also need to adhere to the 6.00 am to 10.00 pm operation window, though those that are found along highways are allowed to remain continually open 24 hours.
• Travel to locations further away such as KLIA, KLIA2, and the Subang Airport will require individual permission from the police.
• Though inter-state travel is prohibited, inter-district travel is technically allowed for work purposes as well as to acquire basic supplies such as groceries with a cap of 2 persons per household. A ‘work from home’ arrangement is encouraged, but for those for whom that does not apply, employees will need to acquire a permit or permission slip issued by their employers, to be presented at these roadblocks. To those who need to travel for other reasons, specific permission from the local police department is required.
• Schools and institutes of higher educated will remain closed, as expected. Physical distancing must always be maintained and the wearing of masks is still compulsory in public areas, yet sporting and recreational activities conducted in the outdoors are still permitted.

Again, we refer you to the full list of SOPs published by the National Security Council for more details because as you know by now, things change rather fast.