Kuala Lumpur: Women make up 60 per cent of peak-hour rail commuters in the Klang Valley compared to 40 per cent men, the Transport Ministry said today amid questions over female-only coaches where men are banned from entry.
In a written Parliamentary reply to Setiu MP Shaharizukirnain Abd Kadir, the ministry said that despite the higher proportion of women passengers, the number of regular train coaches remains sufficient to accommodate all commuters.
“Currently, the women-only coach initiative is implemented on the MRT Kajang Line, MRT Putrajaya Line, and LRT Ampang Line, as these services have larger train capacities compared to the LRT Kelana Jaya Line and KL Monorail,” the ministry said.
For KTM Komuter services, women-only coaches are available only on the Klang Valley sector, while the initiative has not been introduced for the northern sector, it added.
The MP from Islamist party PAS had asked for a gender ratio of rail users for justification, and whether there are enough coaches, so men do not have to intrude on women-only coaches.
The ministry assured that the current number of regular coaches is sufficient to meet passenger demand, including ensuring that male commuters do not have to use the designated women-only coaches during peak hours.
“To ensure the optimal allocation of train coaches, rail operators continuously monitor the gender ratio of passengers, allowing for improvements to be made as necessary,” it said.
Women-only coaches were first introduced in Malaysia in 2010 on KTM Komuter services as part of efforts to provide a safer environment for female passengers, especially during peak travel hours.
