The Melaka monorail connecting Taman Rempah and the Hang Tuah Station here will be on a 48-hour stoppage from this morning to allow for a thorough check to the system.
Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chief operating officer Azhar Ahmad said engineers from SPAD and KL Monorail would look into the safety aspect as well as whether the system’s emergency response was in order.
“The two-day check will determine whether the monorail system can resume its operation or be temporarily stopped,” he told reporters after inspecting the monorail system at Taman Rempah, here today.
The check follows a news report that two British tourists had to descend the monorail using a ladder, assisted by rescue personnel, after the service came to a halt following a glitch yesterday afternoon.
Azhar said this would be the first comprehensive checks to be carried out by SPAD at the facility. The check it carried out prior to its launch on Oct 20 was for the maintenance system only.
“We want to make sure safety aspects are adhered to. There should also be an emergency plan in place,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nazary Ahmad, chief executive officer of Menara Taming Sari Sdn Bhd, the operator of the monorail system, welcomed the move by SPAD.
“SPAD has the experience in this issue. For us, the safety of passengers is paramount,” he said, adding that the glitch yesterday was caused by a damage to the monorail’s door pump.
He said 16,000 passengers had ridden on the RM15.5 million system, covering a distance of 1.6km, since its inception last year.
– Bernama
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