LOKE: Prasarana Must Conduct Tree Fall Risk Analysis Along Its Rail Lines

Transport Minister YB Anthony Loke, said today that his ministry has directed Prasarana Malaysia Bhd to conduct a thorough study into the possible threats posed by trees along its railway lines.

He also stressed the importance of Prasarana working with local authorities, such as Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), to identify the affected areas.

This partnership with local authorities or private landowners is critical because issues such as tree upkeep are normally handled by local council or private landowners over whom the ministry or Prasarana has no jurisdiction.

Nonetheless, as the operator, Prasarana must aggressively identify and address these danger locations through extensive investigations, and then collaborate with the proper government or land owner to resolve the issue, particularly along the monorail and LRT routes, as instructed by Loke.

He also pointed out that the majority of the country's monorail, LRT, and MRT lines are elevated, particularly in dense urban areas, making them more prone to occurrences such as tree falls.

Loke goes on to say that Prasarana is currently already conducting such assessments, but this effort should be doubled.

This declaration follows a tragic occurrence on Tuesday in which a man was murdered and two others injured when a tree fell on Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur during a thunderstorm, impacting 17 vehicles and injuring a monorail track.