Lack Of First- And Last-Mile Connectivity Limits Public Transport Ridership - Experts

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently highlighted that only around 25% of Malaysians utilize public transportation, a significantly lower figure compared to cities such as Seoul, Tokyo, and Singapore.

Responding to the statement, transportation analyst Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, as reported by FMT, stated that enhancing first and last mile connectivity is crucial for the government to increase public transport ridership.

Right now, according to Wan Agyl, many Malaysians struggle with the trip between their homes and MRT or LRT stations, which is a big reason they stick to their cars. This issue is made worse by unreliable feeder buses and not enough sidewalks or bike paths.


He stated that this condition adds to excessive car density on the highways, resulting in severe congestion, particularly in big cities such as Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking to FMT, the My Mobility Vision founder noted that Malaysians prefer driving due to poor public transport integration, delays, inconsistent schedules, and a lack of first/last-mile connectivity.

He added that cities like Singapore, Seoul, and Tokyo have successfully changed public perception by developing user-friendly, reliable, and integrated systems.


“Without such systems in place, awareness campaigns alone will not change anything,” he says, highlighting the need for the National Transit Policy (NTP) and the National Automotive Policy (NAP) to align, especially concerning the goals of achieving 40% public transit usage and developing the automobile industry.

Meanwhile, road transport expert Law Teik Hua emphasized the importance of improving first and last mile connectivity to boost public transport ridership. He argued that simply promoting public transport is ineffective if the system lacks reliability, accessibility, or integration with residential areas.


“Malaysia can learn from Singapore’s success in integrated transit planning, smart pricing strategies, and data-driven approaches to improving service quality,” Law added.