KUALA LUMPUR: The government has no plans to complete the construction of the Putrajaya monorail project to reduce traffic congestion in the area, the Dewan Negara heard today.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said this was because the construction site for the project had been long abandoned since the project's suspension in 2004.
"So far, we have no plans to revive the monorail project in Putrajaya, despite a few studies being carried out (to consider the plan).
"The monorail line had been abandoned for so long and there is an underground tunnel that was built. However, the structure had been left for so long and no inspection was carried out to see the condition of the tunnel.
"Hence, we will look at other alternatives to improve public transportation services in Putrajaya such as (increasing the number of) feeder buses.
"We are also looking into the feasibility of other projects in Putrajaya or nearby areas because currently, congestion occurs between Putrajaya and Bangi and between Putrajaya and Kajang."
Loke said this in response to a question from Senator Datuk Mohd Hisamudin Yahaya on whether the government has plans to complete the monorail project in Putrajaya to reduce traffic congestion.
On Oct 1, 2020, the government had said it was initiating a Request For Proposal (RFP) to resume Putrajaya's monorail because some companies had shown interest in collaborating in the project.
This came more than a year after the Putrajaya Corporation said that construction for the project would be restarted since it was suspended in mid-2004.
According to the original plan, the monorail would have two routes – one with 17 stations and 12km long, and the other with six stations and 6km long.