Ng says some underserved areas show minimal uptake.
THE Selangor government is driving towards a seamless, multimodal transportation ecosystem to serve its residents better.
Spearheaded by the Selangor Mobility Initiative, the state has rolled out a Demand-Responsive-Transit (DRT) trial system at eight key locations since November last year.
According to state investment, trade, and mobility committee chairman Ng Sze Han, this RM5mil-a-year project targets critical first and last-mile connectivity, aiming to bridge gaps in the current public transport network.
Mobi provides DRT services to several areas such as Sunway, USJ and Bandar Utama under the Selangor Mobility Initiative. — Filepic
The eight areas are LRT, MRT and bus hubs at USJ, Sunway, Ara Damansara, Taman Megah, Bandar Utama, Puchong, Ampang, Taman Melawati, Taman Keramat, UPM-Serdang.
“The pilot project revealed the critical need for the first and last mile connectivity. The state is continuing the service based on the good response.
“Based on the evaluation done on our transportation framework, we found a gap in the accessibility of feeder bus services in remote or sparsely populated areas.
“The DRT system has been successfully implemented in nations like Japan, the United Kingdom and Singapore. It is a viable model for Selangor too.
“By adopting this demand- responsive approach, we aim to bridge service gaps in traditional fixed-route bus systems and enhance the flexibility and responsiveness of our public transit network. It also helps to promote sustainable urban mobility for Selangor residents,” said Ng when contacted.
But he noted that Malaysians’ preference for using their own vehicles to get about needed time to change.
He said based on the state’s findings in Gombak, despite the area being underserved with public transit and few train stations, there was minimal uptake of the DRT service.
“This is likely due to the prevalent use of personal vehicles. Similarly, Sungai Buloh, with no public transportation, showed minimal ridership,” he said.
However, the UPM-Serdang Zone, another area classified as underserved, saw significant monthly increases in ridership, said Ng.
This growth was primarily driven by students from universities such as a Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur (IUKL) and Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten), as well as local schools, who utilise the DRT service to access the MRT and head to IOI City Mall.
In areas like the northern part of Petaling Jaya such as Bandar Utama and Damansara, he said the DRT ridership was growing among the office crowds.
“The service connects the public to MRT stations such as Mutiara Damansara, Surian, and Bandar Utama,” he said.
He added that the Selangor Mobility Initiative would serve routes not covered by Prasarana.
This would comprise neighbourhoods, commercial areas as well as places with higher learning institutions.
Ng said in the short-term, the state would analyse the data from the pilot project to strategise the DRT service.
“This will involve identifying zones with optimal use of the DRT service and recognising areas that are not as effective.
“Bus routes will be introduced to zones with high usage approaching 50% of bus capacity.
“The long-term plan focuses on enhancing the effectiveness of the transportation ecosystem, ultimately moving towards an integrated transit system model,” he said. — By SHEILA SRI PRIYA
