IT came as a surprise for me to read that the Malacca government is still considering the Aerorail and hoping that the Transport Ministry will approve the project.

I hope that the ministry does not approve the project. The Aerorail design is unsuitable and it will be in conflict with Malacca’s recently approved Unesco heritage status.

What is worse is that it appears that this town, which has a special place in Malaysian history and in the hearts of Malaysians, will be sold off to private interests.

Malacca is littered with abandoned monuments. The abandoned buildings at the centre of Melaka Raya and off Jalan Gajah Berang are hardly impressive.

If the chief minister and the state government want to show their interests in improving the whole state and town itself, they should invest in effective public transport projects that would move locals and tourists efficiently and comfortably.

They should also revive some of the abandoned projects to make Malacca much more livable.

For a start, traffic congestion in Malacca could easily be reduced. For example, building a flyover in the Mahkota area would reduce congestion in Jalan Merdeka and Jalan Melaka Raya.

Better public transportation could be achieved by reorganising the bus system and using trams along major roads.

Finally, more residential and mixed-use projects in the Melaka Raya and Jalan Hang Tuah areas would reduce the number of cars and increase the demand for public transportation.

Projects like these would be more effective at reducing congestion and improving the movement of tourists, and enhancing the lifestyle of Malacca residents as well.

The benefits would be great and the costs low.

Unfortunately, it appears that Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam is interested in turning Malacca into a giant theme park, accompanied by what appears to be an oversized theme-park ride.

Despite all its claims, the Aerorail is not going to be a realistic public transport solution for Malacca and the benefits will not be worth the cost of construction.

MOAZ YUSUF AHMAD, Subang Jaya

Source: NST – August 8, 2008