Transport Ministry Will Introduce DRT Service To Improve Public Transport

In order to improve the interconnectivity of public transportation, the Transport Ministry (MOT) will implement demand-responsive transit (DRT) or on-demand transit van service in the Klang Valley that targets first- and last-mile areas with limited access to public bus services.
According to its minister Anthony Loke, part of the RM50 million allocated in Budget 2024 to improve public transportation will be used to purchase vans, with Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) in charge of 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 during a press conference after opening the Kuala Lumpur DAP Annual Convention at the party’s headquarters yesterday.

Loke stated that MOT wants Prasarana to collaborate with companies that provide van-on-demand services in order to expand the initiative.

Meanwhile, MOT will propose amendments to the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 33) regarding the offence of driving in bus lanes next year in order to prevent future misuse of the lanes by other road users and to improve the lane's effectiveness. He stated that the amendments allow enforcement personnel to issue compounds based on the offenses monitored and recorded on camera.

Placing enforcement personnel in the lanes to prevent other road users from misusing them was discovered to be a less effective approach. MOT would continue advocacy efforts to prohibit private vehicles from using bus lanes for a year before issuing compounds for the offence.
“We are moving towards smart enforcement by using licence plate scanning devices…this will be implemented later,” Loke said.