cHERAS is a unique suburb located within proximity to Bandar Malaysia and the Tun Razak Exchange, though the majority of its expanses rests in Kuala Lumpur (KL), a handful of its addresses are also parked in Selangor.
The area is rich in amenities for example major shopping malls such as IKEA Cheras, MyTown Shopping Centre and Sunway Velocity Mall. The area is also home to Pantai Hospital Cheras and popular education hub UCSI University Kuala Lumpur Campus.
Cheras has come a long way from its tin mining roots and is now well-known for ceaseless traffic jam issues faced by its community and those whom frequent the locale.
Many homeowners however, still find themselves opting for a residence within the locale due to relatively lower property prices, as compared to the real estate options found in KL’s city centre located just a stone’s throwaway.
Prior to the addition of public transportation options found across Cheras today, such as the Mass Rapid Transit and Light Rapid Transit, the area has suffered limited accessibility to other areas in the Klang Valley. Thus, driving has always remained as the primary means of connectivity.
The deficiency in public transportation in the vicinity is the crux, which has led to traffic jams that commonly take place in the area.
The transformation of Cheras into a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) rich area began with the announcement of converting the Sungai Besi Military Base into Bandar Malaysia, whereby it will serve as the terminus station for the Kuala Lumpur – Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project, making way for the Sungai Buloh – Kajang (SBK) MRT line and the construction of Malaysia’s dedicated entertainment districts such as TREC and upcoming financial hub, Tun Razak Exchange.
One big name of Malaysia’s property scene, Mutiara Rini Sdn Bhd has recently injected vibrancy into Cheras via the introduction of IKEA in Cheras and MyTown Shopping Centre catalysing the area into one that is more suitable for the acceptance of TOD’s.
TOD’s in Cheras
The conversion of Cheras into a TOD neighbourhood is ongoing. TOD’s in KL is defined as a development that is built between 200 to 400 metres away from a MRT or LRT stations or other train stations such as the KL Monorail and the KTM. These properties should also have seamless connection from the train station to the building, similar to the Singaporean SMRT model.
One notable TOD project that is completed in Cheras is called One Stop Residence which is directly connected to the Chan Sow Lin LRT station. Another is the upcoming One Cochrane Residences (OCR) located approximately 150 metres from the Cochrane MRT station.
OCR is not connected directly to an MRT station, however, there is a direct underground link access to MyTown Shopping Centre and IKEA Cheras which enjoys direct connectivity to the Cochrane MRT station. Aside from the aforementioned, those looking to own a TOD property right away can invest in Cheria Heights Apartment completed in 2012, which enjoys direct access to the Taman Connaught MRT station.
As for those who aren’t in a hurry, One Cochrane Residences could be the property of choice as it will offer access to the Cochrane MRT station as well as upcoming condominium towers connected to the Tun Razak MRT station, both expected to complete by the year 2021.
Benefits of TOD Living
Some of the benefits of living within a TOD include direct access to a train station that is within walking distance, cost savings with regards to parking fee, fuel consumption, and being able to commute in high-density areas like Bukit Bintang without having to deal with traffic jams.
A TOD is relevant to any individual whom enjoys city living but not the traffic straddled along with it. It is also beneficial to those whom are environmentally conscious and want to assist in the reduction of carbon footprint. In Singapore, a case study by the SMRT shows that each MRT passenger generates a carbon footprint of 13.2g per kilometre (KM) as compared to 73g by bus and 118g by car.
For those of you dreading the unproductive time spent stuck in a traffic jam, one could turn to TOD’s as it offers a faster commute from one place to the next ,however, there needs to be seamless connecting services such as buses, taxis or ride-hailing services available at these various train stations.
In Malaysia this feature is currently lacking in most train stations as there are no proper signages to inform patrons what transport option to take once alighting from a train.
In other cases, the lack of pedestrian walkways could discourage commuters to opt for train services and drive instead, which is why traffic jams still occur even after the introduction of new train lines such as the SBK MRT.
Cost and Safety of TOD living
It may prove to be cheaper to drive in KL until and when the authorities address the gaps in public transportation services making it more seamless. Fares should also be revised downwards to make it more attractive for commuters to opt using the train. As for now though,the best option is to park ones car at designated train line parking complexes and use the train services.
When it comes to safety, many factors must be taken into account to gauge how safe an individual TOD would be as compared to the next. Some of the factors that can be taken into account include the neighbourhood that the TOD is developed in, security features offered at the TOD development itself, and if or not the surrounding is a high crime area. It is generally safer to live within a high rise TOD as compared to a landed home, located next to a train station.
Banking Solely on Public Transport
The idea may seem far-fetched for now, but with the availability of proper transport connecting facilities such as buses or vehicle ailing services such as GrabCar and the reduction of public transportation fares, the sole usage of public transport could in fact be realised.