Transport Ministry to introduce on-demand transit van service to improve public transport

KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry will introduce the on-demand transit van service or demand responsive transit (DRT) in the Klang Valley to enhance the interconnectivity of public transportation.

Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the ministry would announce details on the implementation of the initiative that targets first and last-mile areas, which had limited access to public bus services.

He said part of the RM50mil allocation under Budget 2024 to enhance public transportation would be used to purchase vans, adding that Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) had 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 on Sunday (Dec 17).

Loke said the Transport 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 (Act 33) regarding the offence of driving in bus lanes next year to prevent continued misuse of the lanes by other road users and enhance the lane’s effectiveness.

According to him, the amendments allowed 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 by other road users 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. – Bernama