THOSE that rely on the Express Rail Link (ERL) for their daily commute journey would have to find another mode of transportation as the company shuts its doors starting tomorrow (July 4) until further notice, in adherence to the total lockdown that came into effect earlier this week.
The decision to cease operations was made following consultations with the Ministry of Transport and the Land Public Transport Agency.
“Those who still need to commute or travel for urgent matters during this period are advised to make alternative arrangements for their transportation,” Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd announced in a statement released late yesterday.
The company has taken into account the government’s latest directive on working from home and stricter movement restrictions from 1st June 2021.
Thus, in order to ensure that ERL can continue to provide services to all its customers once the MCO is lifted and remain financially sustainable, the company regrettably has to temporarily suspend its services until further notice.
Since it has been more than one year after the first outbreak of COVID-19, there has been a significant decrease in the number of commuters, especially since air travel was suspended.
ERL’s average daily ridership dropped by 69% in 2020 compared to its 2019 pre-COVID-19 level. With the start of the total lockdown on June 1, 2021, the average daily ridership plunged a further 89% compared to its 2020 level (or, a 97% decline vs 2019). – June 3, 2021
