Budget 2014: Construction sector remains overweight

THE Government is continuing with the construction of large infrastructure projects to further upgrade road connectivity and public transport.
Among the projects is the 316km West Coast Expressway from Banting to Taiping to be built by Kumpulan Europlus Bhd for RM5bil on a build, operate and transfer basis.
“This is not new but it is a welcome move by the Government to support the project that has been delayed since 2008. The projects would add on to ongoing works like the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), and Light Rail Transit (LRT) extensions,” said an analyst.
He said the Government seemed to be focusing more on public transport infrastructure especially rail projects and that the construction sector remained overweight with more contracts to be dished out.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak also said the Ipoh-Padang Besar double-tracking project was still being built and would later be extended to Johor Baru. The electrified double-tracking project stretch between Ipoh and Padang Besar worth RM12.5bil was awarded to the MMC-Gamuda joint venture and the Seremban-Gemas stretch worth RM3.45bil to India’s Ircon International Ltd.
A total of RM2.9bil was also allocated under the Budget 2014 to upgrade rail tracks nationwide, and RM62mil more to provide “park and ride” facilities at LRT stations, KTM commuter stations and Express Rail Transit stations.
Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (Prasarana), the owner and operator of RapidKL LRT, monorail and bus services, hoped more land would be allocated for the construction of park and ride facilities.
“Indeed, we need more park and ride facilities to encourage the public to switch from driving private vehicles to using public transportation. The trend is indeed changing, but we strongly feel that it needs to change more,” said group managing director Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar.
Prasarana opened a six-storey park and ride complex, with 1,260 parking bays at the Gombak LRT station in February, and would be opening similar facility with 1,140 parking bays at the Ampang LRT station next year.
The Government would also spend RM15.3mil to introduce a centralised taxi service system to ensure efficient mobilisation of taxi services.
A total of RM28mil would be utilised to build “last city terminals” and upgrading bus stops as well as providing “drop-and-ride” facilities, and a further RM28mil to refurbish Electric Multiple Units trains to ensure frequency and efficiency of services. It will also continue to subsidise RM52.9mil for uneconomical train routes in Pahang and Kelantan, which will benefit about 600,000 commuters.
In Sabah and Sarawak, the Government has allocated RM130mil to subsidise rural air transport for travel between urban and rural areas.