The city’s infrastructure, a subject of increasing criticism, is likely to be boosted by a new mass rapid transit (MRT) system that could be put into place soon to complement the role of the monorail and LRT systems.

Sources said the government was in the final stage of considering the MRT project, believed to be planned for within the confines of the city which was experiencing growing traffic congestion.

The names of at least two industry players have been bandied about for the MRT project — Gamuda Bhd and MMC Corporation Bhd.

Sources said the two were being considered to jointly undertake the MRT job, or a section of it, due to their expertise and track record for the design and construction of the multiple awards-winning SMART Tunnel.

Lending credence to the possibility of a new MRT system for KL is that at least one developer in KL city, sources said, had been told to redesign its upcoming billion ringgit mixed-development project to incorporate an MRT station.

Meanwhile, it is not immediately known if the earlier proposed extensions to the LRT lines would unfold as intended.

The KL monorail has been designed to complement and interface with KL’s existing and planned urban transportation systems. The LRT, meanwhile, radiates into the suburbs.

Introducing an MRT would not only alleviate KL’s traffic congestion, rendering the city attractive to work and live in, but also enhances real estate values in areas that will stand to benefit, both directly and indirectly.
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