MRT Line 2 – 2022 deadline, tunnelling tender starts

By now, everyone would have read about the MRT Line (2). Proposed stations as follows: MRT 1 completion and MRT 2 Stations, the proposed ones. What is quite certain is that this project should be following the given timeline, just like MRT Line 1 which is as at today still slightly ahead of schedule. The tunnelling job is expected to cost RM10 billion and the pre-qualifying process for the international open tender will begin this week and awarded in Q1 2016.
MRT Line 2 is also known as the Sungai Buloh – Serdang – Putrajaya (SSP) line. The total length spans 52.2km and yes, there would be one station near where I am staying today; Damansara Damai. Well, truth is, there is no certainty that I would stay at the same place till 2022. What if I suddenly decide to move back to Ipoh to stay with my parents instead? MRT Corp Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar said that because of the longer evaluation process for the tunnelling job by international bidders, it will be the first package to be worked on.
Personally, I like whatever new transportation project. This is because it expands the whole property market instead of having everyone focussing on just that few hotspots all the time. It would also help to ensure congestion stays manageable. I say manageable because I think many would still choose to drive unless they face a heavy jam every single morning and evening. Or the cost to drive is made prohibitive especially when entering the city centre.  In Singapore, majority of everyone from students to senior managers take MRT because the other choice is grossly expensive. How expensive? Read here: Proton Preve RM509,605, SGD appreciation and transportation costs In Malaysia, well, you can easily buy a second-hand car for just a few thousand ringgit. This should be something worth tackling in the near future with MRT Line 1 starting. Perhaps Singapore would be a great example to follow in this sense, with their Electronic road Pricing (ERP) system. We shall see.
written on 25 May 2015
next suggested article: Sense and Cents from property during a slowdown