SCHEDULED time of departure (STD) is the moment a public conveyance such as a commercial aircraft, ferry, train or bus is supposed to take off, set sail or roll out from a specific time and place, but less dramatic than a countdown just before a rocket blast off.
The estimated time of departure (ETD) can only be determined just hours before STD and the flight information display system is continuously updated and displayed on electronic boards whether departures are on time or expected to be delayed by how long.
On-time performance (OTP) compares the number of on-time flights with the total number of flights operated by an airline. Departures and arrivals within 15 minutes of STD and STA (scheduled time of arrival) are considered to be on time.
In September for example, AirAsia recorded an OTP rate of 61.7% for international flights and 67.9% for domestic. In the same month, AirAsia X was 81.8%.
In October, the OTP for Malaysia Airlines was more than 80%, compared to only 58.2% in August.
This was achieved largely by reducing its flight network and a million passengers planning to travel from September to December with the airline would be affected by fewer flights.
The OTP target for the above airlines is 85%, as set by the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) which will monitor their performance and publish results on Mavcom’s website.
The civil aviation regulator plans to introduce incentives for airlines achieving OTP targets, and penalties for failing to do so, such as restrictions on renewing or extending air traffic rights. Only time will tell how well the carrot and stick wielded by Mavcom works.
Closer to the ground, the Transport Ministry will have to use its other agencies to monitor express bus operations, starting with their departure times from major terminals such as Terminal Bersepadu Selatan at Bandar Tasik Selatan (TBS-BTS) on the southern edge of Kuala Lumpur.
The Road Transport Department, with an army of enforcement officers, can only look out for infringements and issue summonses by citing a specific section of the Road Transport Act 1987, the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board Act 1987, or the Land Public Transport Act 2010.
However, these laws may not cover operational weaknesses such as being consistently late for departures and this is where the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (CVLB) of Sabah and Sarawak need to be more proactive.
To do so, they must be given adequate budgets to beef up resources and staffing to monitor and engage with express bus operators and not give them free reins without having to comply with basic standards and public expectations, as many passengers have suffered long enough.
For example, there are no toilets inside the departure area of TBS-BTS. Once passengers have checked in, they would have to hold their bladders and bowels as there are no toilets in buses unlike commercial aircraft, and the rest stop will be many hours away, made worse by slow traffic.
To avoid such an excruciating experience, those who are wise would wear adult diapers, even if they have not done this before. Many passengers choose not to drink so as not to be caught in such a situation but may later suffer the consequence of dehydration.
I have travelled by express bus twice from TBS-BTS to Larkin Sentral to conduct training in Johor Bahru and departure time was delayed by several hours each time.
On the second trip, the journey took more than 10 hours due to severe traffic congestion, with just one toilet break.
Both APAD and CVLB can emulate Mavcom by monitoring departure times for express buses and using the carrot-and-stick method on operators.
Otherwise, there will be little change in express bus services and passengers’ comfort, health and safety will be taken for granted. – Nov 13, 2024
YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: X/Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS)
