KUALA LUMPUR: The average daily weekday passenger trips on the Putrajaya Line Mass Rail Transit (MRT2) have increased by 305%, according to the Ministry of Transport.
Minister Anthony Loke said the number of trips increased from 23,000 in Phase 1 to 93,000 passenger trips per day in Phase 2.
"The operation of the first phase of the Putrajaya Line, which stretches from Kwasa Damansara Station to Kampung Baru Station started on June 16 last year, followed by Phase 2 on March 16 this year," he said during a question and answer session at the Dewan Negara on Tuesday (June 27).
Loke was replying to Senator Datuk Mohd Hisamudin Yahaya's question on the ministry's plan to encourage more users of the RM30.53 billion Putrajaya Line MRT.
He said RapidKL will also provide feeder buses around Putrajaya to promote the use of MRT2, which includes five routes, such as the route from Putrajaya Sentral MRT station to Precinct 10, Precinct 16, Precinct 4, Precinct 11, and Ayer 8.
Loke said the average daily weekday ridership for the five routes from March to June 25 this year was 706 passenger trips and was expected to increase further based on the current trend in ridership.
He added that passenger numbers are expected to increase further by the fourth quarter of 2023 as new trains are deployed on the Kelana Jaya line and when repair work on the cracked structure of the Ampang line is fully completed.
"The Transport Ministry through Prasarana will continue to improve public transport services and invest in rail and bus infrastructure as needed to promote the transition to a more comfortable, safer and lower-carbon public transport system," he said.
In addition, the MY50 Unlimited Travel Pass for rail and bus services will continue as the government's plan to promote the use of public transport, he added.
Meanwhile, he said the average number of passengers using the Rapid Rail service on weekdays has increased by more than 21 per cent. This is 746,000 passengers in June 2023 compared to 613,000 in January 2023.
He said the services include the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Ampang Line, Kelana Jaya Line LRT, Monorail Line, Kajang Mass Transit (MRT) Line and Putrajaya MRT. - Bernama
