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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 1d

Cannot wait to share what I had been working on buses for months in the making, stay tuned!

(Bonus if you can guess which bus stop is depicted in the background...)

Promotional graphic showing redesigned bus stop posters with the headline “Your Next Stop: A New Look.” The design preview displays route information cards for buses, including destinations like “390 Sg Long” and “Lalaport Bukit,” along with route codes and multilingual text in Malay, Chinese, and Tamil. Below, the caption reads, “Clearer info coming to your bus stop soon.” Logos at the bottom indicate the collaboration between ST Wong + Partners, FDTJ (Transport for Metropolitan Jakarta), and CLEAN Mobility Collective. The overall look is modern and professional with pastel gradients.

Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 1d

If I had it my way, those bus shuttles should definitely had priority over every other traffic, and police should provide escort services for it

Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 1d

Putting aside RapidKL’s flaws for the disruption last night, the most infuriating thing I saw was a police escort for an unnamed VIP to speed through a congested Jalan Bangsar flooded by ride-hailing and taxis slowing down the buses to shuttle LRT users

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 2d

Update: Normal services has resumed on the Kelana Jaya LRT

Naturally of course, I had to claim a delay slip as keepsake with a MRT line conspicuously missing…

Delay slip for the duration of the KJL rail disruption

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 2d

If you are among those stuck along the Kelana Jaya Line at Bangsar today, you can also take RapidKL buses 750, 751 or 772 to continue on at Asia Jaya:

750, 751 and 772 as a bus alternative to Bangsar and Asia Jaya

Crowds of people waiting on the platform at Pasar Seni

Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 2d

I'm a big fan of building more housing near transit and well-paying jobs but arbitrary colours separates that in distinct zones and thus the need to have a car to get around is sadly the norm

A photo showing a busy city street with a railway station in the background, with buildings next to it

A quiet city street with residential apartments on both sides of the street

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 2d

A core weakness in Kuala Lumpur’s urbanist discourse is our failure to define what “overdevelopment” truly means - now a catch-all for NIMBY resistance to new housing near MRTs and jobs

We must flip this narrative before their activism drives housing further out of reach

A social media campaign image showing a satirical petition titled “Continue with the Overdevelopment of Bukit Damansara!” The post features a large green check mark over a backdrop of high-rise towers and highlights that 860 people have signed the petition so far. The tone and design parody common online petitions, referencing public debates around urban density and land use in Kuala Lumpur’s affluent suburbs.

Volunteers from Protect Taman Desa engage with residents at a night market (‘pasar malam’) to raise awareness and collect signatures opposing redevelopment plans in the neighbourhood. The campaign, featuring banners calling to “Protect Taman Desa from Overdevelopment,” has reportedly raised RM75,000 to defend open spaces, including a playground and a police station site. The event took place on September 30, 2025, amid ongoing local advocacy for green and public land preservation.

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 6d

It was admittedly humorous to see UOB branding everywhere at the starting line for the KL Standard Chartered marathon

But it seems the organisers got smarter with a huge banner at the front blocking the UOB logos when viewed from the starting line

Entrance to the Bandaraya LRT station which has been granted naming rights to UOB

When viewed from above, there’s a huge banner at the left which blocks the view of the UOB logos at the rear

Viewing down the starting line where UOB logos are not possible to be seen

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 7d

Housing un-affordability is a growing trend everywhere, particularly worse in the US and Europe, precisely because of activism led by senior homeowners that suppresses development of housing because of vibes rather than having the freedom to build

“Bar chart from the IMF showing the house price-to-income ratio around the world, indexed to 2015=100, with data up to Q4 2021 or latest available. The chart shows that house prices have grown faster than incomes in most countries. The highest ratios are in the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Netherlands, Portugal, and Luxembourg, all above 140. Malaysia appears in the lower third of the chart, with a ratio just under 90, indicating slower house price growth relative to income compared to many other countries. India, Peru, and UAE are at the bottom with ratios around 75–80.”

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 7d

Turns out the Bkt Damansara fuss is over a 60-storey building causing traffic—so naturally I chimed in

Q: There’s an MRT nearby, why the traffic concern?
KJ: Not everyone wants to take it

Q: So KL’s car-lite TOD vision is flawed?
KJ: I challenge the developer to go w/o parking

the "Save Bukit Damansara" committee speaking to press

banner for "Save Bukit Damansara - Suburbs not Skyscrapers"

People gathering in front of the disused Wisma Damansara posing with a placard that says "Selamatkan Komuniti Kita" (Save our Community)

Crowds of people gather to protest against Wisma Damansara's redevelopment

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 7d

You can also download the map here: drive.google.com/file/d/1C-iD...

Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 7d

Hanging out late in KL this weekend? Night trains can take you home in conjunction with the KL Standard Chartered Marathon 2025!

Here are the operating lines and stations from 01:30 in the morning on October 5:

2025 Night Trains Map showing operating lines and train stations

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 8d

I think Rafizi is largely vindicated as he wanted to push for targeted subsidies at any cost (which would net us larger savings) compared to the current system which provides subsidy regardless of income or region

Remains to be seen whether if gov moves forward but they have indicated no roadmap

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 8d

Id argue that it was a mistake to not build the monorail 20 years ago as public transport built now is always cheaper than it being built tomorrow, especially if you are anticipating demand as public transport is a great tool to build demand as well

Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 11d

It’s ironic that Anthony Loke had used his physical driving licence, rather than the mobile app that everyone is forced to use, to show his driving licence during a press conference

Goes to show that physical stuff is more convent than an app on a phone, even to a minister

Anthony Loke showing off his physical driver’s licence during a press conference

Close up of the minister’s driver’s licence, which he used his physical card instead of the virtual driver licence

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 12d

As the day of subsidy rationalisation for RON95 draws nearer, are there any burning questions that you have about the scheme?

Would try and see if I can get these questions addressed

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 12d

It’s a cowardice move to keep shifting the goal posts since the 1990s on deciding what is “comprehensive” public transport as a precursor to implement congestion charge

KL’s rail network is among ASEAN’s best but god forbid we make drivers’ lives a bit harder so they use it

News headline: Anwar: Congestion charges for cities possible, but only after ‘comprehensive' public transport

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 13d

It is good to see that dormant and unused transportation infrastructure is being repurposed for more immediate needs but this said infrastructure must be ready to make way when the time comes to complete that said transportation infrastructure

Abandoned Putrajaya monorail bridge to be repurposed for use by cyclists

The government has allocated RM15 million to upgrade the 200m bridge.

Monorail Suspension Bridge
The Putrajaya monorail bridge is expected to become a popular attraction for tourists early next year.

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 14d

If you are looking into a career in transportation within Malaysia, there’s a career fair with major transportation companies organised by MOT happening on Sunday and Monday at the Northern Integrated Terminal in Gombak

MOT Carnival 1 day countdown poster featuring companies listed at the bottom

Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 15d

It interests me in the discourse of the RON95 petrol subsidy rationalisation on how:
- widespread poor mathematics comprehension is
- complaints that 300L of subsidised petrol a month isn't enough (it should be much lower!)
- shocking amount of unlicensed drivers on the road

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 15d

Showing concession passes as a valid payment option

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 18d

No idea who needs to hear this but no one is going to scan a QR code just to download another app to check what time your store opens

Gatekeeping everything behind an app is unnecessarily unhelpful

Opening hours label in front of a Kenangan Coffee store but requires users to scan a QR code to download an app to know the opening times of the store

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 22d

The crux of my question was because the terminals existed when the ticket machines were installed but the verifone terminals were never activated, which meant at some point Prasarana had the opportunity to activate payments by bank cards but did not for reasons unknown

Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 22d

It’s a shame that my unofficial KOMTAR posters were removed as part of the renovation of the bus interchange recently

But that means it’s a good excuse to publish a slightly adjusted second edition to the map, featuring a better “You Are Here” icon:

Entrance to KOMTAR bus interchange with the renovated bus berth driveways

Poster in view of a former pillar where the KOMTAR poster was but removed with the second edition in view

View of KOMTAR bus interchange interior with one pillar with the updated poster and the other pillar without it

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Ernest is: on transit! 🚌🚇🚅 @ernestonpt.bsky.social · 23d

Open payments couldn’t come any sooner after issues with Prasarana’s tender earlier this year set back the timeline

But a bigger question I think needs to be raised: why was Verifone’s existing card payment terminals dormant for almost a decade of the machine’s existence?

Loke: Prasarana's cashless payment tender for Rapid transportations still pending

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 17): State-owned public transportation operator Prasarana Malaysia Bhd has yet to finalise the tender process for the open payment system for its transportation services, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

Old photo of the ticket machine without covers covering the verifone PIN terminal and card slot

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