Ever since his appointment as Transport Minister, Anthony Loke has been working hard to find solutions to long standing problems with our public transport which has received plenty of complaints in recent times.
One of the major issues is the issues surrounding the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB).
In an effort to encourage more passengers to use KTMB, Loke recently announced that pupils in school uniforms aged up to 12 and people with disabilities (PWDs) will be able to enjoy free KTMB train rides from February 15.
Loke said that this initiative could be implemented through savings of RM15 million a year following the suspension of the KTM commuter service from Subang Skypark to KL Sentral effective from the same date.
He said that the free ride offer was for the northern sector commuter train services and Klang Valley as well as the inter-city services for the Gemas-Tumpat route.
According to him, this will also benefit 150 primary school pupils using the train services from Dabong to Kuala Geris in Kelantan daily, with a fare of RM1 per trip.
“Further discussions will be carried out to expand the free train rides for secondary school students after this, depending on financial ability,” he told reporters after distributing 2023 Chinese New Year celebration packs to passengers of the north-bound electric train services (ETS) and the commuter in KL Sentral yesterday (January 20).
Meanwhile, Loke said that the Subang Skypark-KL Sentral commuter train services, which began in 2018 and cost RM15 million a year, had received less than encouraging response.
He highlighted that studies and collection of data on the services, which involved 32 trips per day, found that an average of between 80 and 100 passengers boarded the train daily.
“Sometimes, the train is empty. There is no demand yet, perhaps after the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah in Subang Airport is upgraded there may be a higher demand.”
Loke also said that the 4 trains used on the route would be redeployed, with 2 sent to the north to increase the number of trips and 2 more for the Klang Valley commuter line.
What do you think of this initiative? Let us know in the comments section.
Also read: Anthony Loke Says He Puts Himself in the Shoes of Public Transport Users to Understand the Issues
