Public Transportation Archives

Rapid KL Extends Operating Hours for New Year’s Eve Celebration

In anticipation of New Year’s Eve celebrations, Rapid KL has announced the extension of operating hours for selected rail transit and bus services until 1:30 am on January 1. This initiative aims to accommodate individuals planning to celebrate the arrival of the new year.

As reported by FMT, Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, the operator of Rapid KL, shared that the service extension will cover 12 LRT and MRT lines, monorail stations in Kuala Lumpur, three BRT stations, and 21 Rapid KL and MRT feeder bus routes. Notable rail transit routes included in the service extension are the Kelana Jaya LRT line (KLCC and Masjid Jamek stations), Ampang LRT line to Sri Petaling (Masjid Jamek, Bandaraya, IOI Puchong Jaya, and Maluri), KL monorail line (Bukit Bintang), Kajang MRT line (Bukit Bintang, TRX, Cochrane, and Maluri), Putrajaya MRT line (TRX), and Sunway BRT line (Sunway Lagoon, SunMed, and Sun U-Monash).

While some stations will conclude their operations as usual, passengers will have the option to exit from these stations to continue their journeys. Prasarana emphasised the use of Touch ‘n Go cards for a smoother experience and encouraged the purchase of return tokens to reduce queues during the return journey.

To ensure operational efficiency, Rapid KL plans to increase the number of staff and enhance train frequencies. Train frequencies for all services will be increased to eight minutes from 1 pm and further reduced to four minutes from 8 pm until the end of the extended operating hours. Commuters are urged to plan their journeys in advance, utilise electronic payment options, and cooperate with the additional measures implemented for a safe and enjoyable New Year’s celebration.

MOT Introduces On-Demand Transit Vans for Enhanced Connectivity

In a bid to improve interconnectivity within public transportation, Malaysia’s transport ministry is set to launch an on-demand transit van service, also known as demand-responsive transit, in the Klang Valley. The implementation of this service aims to address first and last-mile connectivity gaps in areas with limited access to existing bus services.

According to Bernama, transport minister Loke Siew Fook revealed that further details regarding the on-demand transit van service would be announced soon. The service is expected to function similarly to e-hailing services, targeting strategic locations for pick-ups and drop-offs. A portion of the RM50 million allocated under Budget 2024 to enhance public transportation will be utilised to purchase the vans. Prasarana Malaysia Bhd (Prasarana) has been entrusted with overseeing the operations.

Loke emphasised that not all residential areas have established bus routes, making the on-demand service a crucial addition to the public transportation system. He also encouraged collaboration between Prasarana and existing van-on-demand service providers to maximise the initiative’s impact.

The implementation of this on-demand transit van service reflects Malaysia’s commitment to addressing the evolving needs of commuters and fostering more accessible and efficient public transportation options.

DBKL Announces Phased Implementation of GOKL Bus Charges for Non-Malaysian Citizens

In a recent announcement, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has disclosed plans to introduce charges for non-Malaysian citizens utilising the GOKL bus services. This new measure will be implemented in phases, affecting four routes in the city center, namely Route 01 (Green), Route 02 (Purple), Route 03 (Red), and Route 04 (Blue).

Cashless Payment Transactions:
Non-Malaysian citizens availing themselves of GOKL bus services will be required to make cashless payments. Accepted modes of payment include the Touch & Go card, QR code, credit card, or debit card.

MyKad Registration for Malaysian Citizens:
On the other hand, Malaysian citizens utilising the GOKL bus services must register their MyKad for authentication purposes to enjoy the continued free service.

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E-Hailing Abduction Attempt Highlights Passenger Safety Concerns

In a recent alarming incident, a woman narrowly escaped an apparent abduction attempt by an e-hailing driver. The victim, an employee en route to an event, recounted her harrowing experience, highlighting significant safety concerns associated with e-hailing services.

The incident occurred last Wednesday, as the employee, Neera, opted for an e-hailing service to reach her destination after taking the Subang Jaya LRT train. As reported by NST, Neera attempted to make a cash payment, but the driver remained unresponsive, leaving her feeling uneasy.

The situation escalated as the driver veered into an obscure route and drove past an empty building. Distressed and sensing danger, Neera called emergency services (999) for help. Despite assistance from customer service officers, the driver maintained silence, heightening Neera’s fear. In a brave act of self-preservation, Neera decided to jump out of the moving vehicle near the empty building, seeking refuge and safety.

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Debit and Credit Card Usage For Public Transit In The Works

Public transportation users can now breathe a sigh of relief as the implementation of debit and credit cards are now in the works.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said this system is expected to be active in the next few months. He also mentioned that he has ordered all their agencies to adopt this open payment system.

LRT users now only have two options which is Touch ‘n Go or buying a token from the vending machine which if you ask me, is kind of outdated. For Touch ‘n Go to be around since 1997, with no major updates, it’s time the public get other payment options as the financial world is moving forward.

Everything now is being modernised and this debit card/credit card system is something that will make things easier for the public as they do not have to worry about topping up their Touch ‘n Go or waiting in line to buy a token.

For those hesitant to change, there’s good news as the credit and debit card system will complement the existing Touch ‘n Go system rather than have it replace the older system entirely.

Lyft working with Ford for autonomous ride service

Ford has been all over the news these past few weeks and this time it’s no different. The American automaker has teamed up with Lyft, a transportation network company to explore how autonomous vehicles can benefit both parties.

Similar to Uber, Lyft works by connecting drivers to passengers through a mobile app. Those wishing to use the service will need to sign up with Lyft and fill in their details and payment method.

Drivers who wish to drive for Lyft are subjected to stringent security checks including face to face interviews with the company before being approved as a driver. Apart from this, Lyft also limits the number of hours drivers are allowed to operate each day, which does offer passengers the peace of mind of knowing that their driver won’t fall asleep while at the wheel.

Through its partnership with Lyft, Ford will explore the following categories:

How to create a technology platform that it can easily connect with a partner’s platform (such as Lyft’s) to effectively dispatch a self-driving vehicle
Which cities to work with to deliver a self-driving vehicle service based on shared data and information
The kind of infrastructure necessary to service and maintain a fleet of self-driving vehicles to maximise availability to consumers

Ford has been hard at working on research and development of its self-driving technology that includes its Argo AI’s virtual driver system. It is also looking into building the proper infrastructure to allow for better access of this technology by the general public.

Autonomous vehicles are said to be the future of transportation, because once the human element is eliminated from the system, incidents of fatigue related accidents or driver error could be reduced dramatically.

As such, the partnership between Lyft and Ford will involve building a service based around the actual needs and wants of people. They will need to make sure that safety and dependability can be guaranteed in order to convince the general public to trust self-driving technology.

Initially, a joint technology platform will be developed where Ford will deploy human-driven vehicles on Lyft’s network to test the interface and ensure compatibility with Lyft’s app and customer usability.

At the same time, Ford will also connect its self-driving test vehicles to Lyft’s network but they won’t be made available to the latter’s customers. Instead, it will allow the automaker to develop the technology to ensure that it meets the safety requirements and needs of future customers.

According to a statement by the automaker: “The partnership with Lyft will accelerate plans to build a profitable and viable self-driving vehicle business. With Lyft’s network and respected brand experience, Ford expects its ability to scale self-driving vehicles will play a critical role in safely bringing this technology to mainstream consumers.”

Such a partnership isn’t groundbreaking, Lyft’s rival, Uber has partnered with automaker’s like Volvo to test its own version of autonomous transportation. In fact, Uber has been ramping up R&D in this area to push this cutting edge technology to the masses in record time.

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