SPAD is doing a 'good' job

Any loyal Malaysian would take offence at the insinuation conveyed by the last paragraph in the letter to the editor today “One wonders whether this is due to SPAD being too skilful in the art of quantitative management, the enforcement personnel having vision defects, or practise of the culture of “semangat tolong-menolong.””

How could the writer say such things? All of us know those who worked at the SPAD since its inception have been trying hard to make the life of a commuter much more pleasant. The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has been entrusted in improving road and rail-based public and freight transport in the country. The heading in their website shouts out that the SPAD is to lead the transformation of public transportation to become the rakyat's preferred mode to commute.

The rakyat would be the ordinary folks and not those with the outriders or even the SPAD management. That distinction has to be made clear from the beginning. The commuters are those lucky enough to be under the care of the SPAD. At the time of writing, many do spend a few hours every day commuting to and from work. The transformation of our public transport system overseen by the SPAD will take time to bear fruit and in the meantime we should all be thankful that our roads are still packed with many cars that has just one occupant.

One bus can accommodate at least 30 passengers and is equivalent in length to two or three cars bumper to bumper. That one bus does take up space when the car is much more deserving. More cars is a sign of progress, right? Buses inadvertently are always the first choice for some. It does not matter that some of our buses can be a furnace in a heat wave when the air-conditioner breaks down or we can play dodge the dripping water from the roof top when it rains as this is just a temporary nuisance. The SPAD has so many plans in the pipeline that will make commuting such a pleasure in future.

The recently announced Teksi Rakyat 1Malaysia scheme will definitely change the face of the industry and we will be the envy of the world. The days of rude, unresponsive and picky taxi drivers will be past history. Welcome to better public transportation and many thanks goes to the SPAD. Don't forget this is for the rakyat and please remember that in this Orwellian world, there are rakyats and there are rakyats.

Image from SPAD