KLANG (July 29): Construction work on the Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3) from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia in Selangor has reached 95.6% and the line is expected to be operational in the third quarter (3Q) of next year, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke. 

He said the construction work on the alignment, which includes the building of 20 stations, is expected to be completed this October.

This will be followed by system integration work, which is expected to take several months until early next year, he told reporters after inspecting the LRT3 project at the Pasar Jawa Station here on Monday.

“After this process, we will be ready for testing and commissioning, which will take three to four months before starting operations by the third quarter of next year,” he said.

Loke said the expected operational timeline is slightly delayed compared to the original target set for March next year, partly because work could not be carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Loke said the Cabinet meeting on July 5 also agreed to reinstate the original scope of LRT3, involving five stations - Tropicana, Temasya, Raja Muda, Bukit Raja and Bandar Botanik.

He said the reinstatement of these five stations will involve the purchase of an additional seven sets of three-car trains, the expansion of the train depot at Johan Setia, and the acquisition of 150 electric buses for feeder services, along with the construction of two bus depots. 

He said this process will involve an additional cost of RM3.8 billion, including the cost of creating feeder bus services between the first and last stations to enhance the LRT3 service. 

"The additional scope and other works will take two years, but will not affect the opening and operational dates for the 20 stations," he said.

Loke said the reinstatement of the five stations demonstrates the government’s commitment to continuously improving and promoting the use of public transport, especially in the Klang Valley.

He said this is because the route will serve several high-density areas, especially from Bandar Utama, Shah Alam and Klang, which previously lacked an LRT system.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when presenting Budget 2024, announced that the government would resume the proposed construction of five LRT3 stations, namely Tropicana, Raja Muda, Temasya, Bukit Raja and Bandar Botanik, which were previously cancelled, involving a cost of RM4.7 billion. 

The LRT3 project, which starts at Bandar Utama and ends at Johan Setia, is expected to cost approximately RM16 billion.

On another matter, Loke said the ministry has made a decision regarding the implementation of the automatic upgrade of motorcycle licences from class B2 to full B class, and the matter will be announced soon.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was previously reported as saying that the age limit and the duration of holding a B2 class motorcycle licence are among the factors that need to be considered before the proposal to upgrade to a B class licence automatically can be finalised. 

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