KUALA LUMPUR – The Transport Ministry will introduce an on-demand transit van service or demand-responsive transit in the Klang Valley to enhance public transport interconnectivity.
Minister Anthony Loke said the ministry will announce details on the implementation of the initiative that targets first and last-mile areas, which have limited access to public bus services.
He said part of the RM50 million allocation under Budget 2024 to enhance public transport will be used to purchase vans, adding that Prasarana Malaysia Bhd has been tasked to oversee the operations.
“We understand that not all residential areas have bus routes. The concept is similar to e-hailing services. It has no special routes but we will place it in strategic locations,” he said in a media conference after opening the Kuala Lumpur DAP annual convention at the party’s headquarters, here today.
Loke said his ministry wanted Prasarana to forge cooperation with companies offering the van-on-demand services to expand the initiative.
Meanwhile, he said, the ministry would present amendments to the Road Transport Act 1987 regarding the offence of driving in bus lanes next year to prevent continued misuse of the lanes by other road users and enhance their effectiveness.
According to him, the amendments allow enforcement personnel to issue compounds based on the offences monitored and recorded on camera.
He said placing enforcement personnel at the lanes to prevent misuse was found to be a less effective approach.
“We are moving towards smart enforcement by using licence-plate scanning devices… this will be implemented later,” he said.
Loke said the ministry would continue advocacy efforts to prohibit private vehicles from using bus lanes for a year before issuing compounds for the offence. – December 17, 2023