Selangor Journal
Selangor Smart Bus passengers complying with the standard operating procedure (SOP) by wearing face masks and adhering to social distancing when boarding the bus at the bus station in Section 13, Shah Alam, on March 5, 2021. — Picture by REMY ARIFIN/SELANGORKINI

Smart Selangor Bus welcomes all, new terms to ensure service sustainability

By Sherilyn Pang

SHAH ALAM, March 25 — The free Smart Selangor Bus’ newly-reviewed terms, which recently include the introduction of the RM0.90 fee to non-Malaysian passengers and the implementation of the ‘Scan-to Ride’ application, would go a long way towards ensuring the sustainability of the service.

State executive councillor for public transportation Ng Sze Han said the cost of the free bus operations, which totals to RM50 million annually, has been borne both by the state government and the local authorities since its inception in 2015.

“Its operational costs come to about RM50 million every year and for 2021, the Selangor government has allocated RM25 million for the facility with the balance to be shouldered by all the local authorities.

“So we need to ensure that this spending is planned well,” said Ng during an interview with Media Selangor at the Selangor State Secretariat Building, here, on March 16.

“The Smart Selangor Bus is inclusive. We welcome everyone to board the bus, it’s just that we are honouring the Selangor taxpayers’ requests to prioritise them so that they can enjoy the service better,” he explained.

Ng Sze Han scanning the ‘Scan to Ride’ QR code at the entrance of the Smart Selangor Bus during the launch of the system, on March 1, 2021. — Picture via FACEBOOK/NG SZE HAN

Ng said the Smart Selangor Bus was also introduced to change long-held perceptions towards the act of taking public transportation.

“When the state launched the service, we wanted to change the perception of the public towards the idea of taking public transport services. It is not obsolete but has become a new trend nowadays.

“We should feel proud when we take public transport as we can also reduce the cars on the road,” he said.

As the most developed state in Malaysia, Ng said Selangor is an investors’ destination that welcomes foreigners in all shapes and languages.

“Investors and tourists from all over the world will visit Selangor. So, foreign passengers are not restricted to only factory workers (legal or illegal). They also comprise white-collared foreign passengers and international tourists.

“So, this is a sustainable measure taken for the long haul,” he said adding that the fee amount for the Smart Selangor Bus vehicle category is also in line with the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board’s (CVLB) Circular No. 8, Year 2009.

Meanwhile, Ng also highlighted the purpose of the ‘Scan to Ride’ application as a reliable data source for the Selangor government to plan the bus routes.

“With ‘Scan to Ride’, we can measure daily passenger traffic and obtain data about the embarkation and alighting of passengers, thus helping us to plan better routes in the future.

“With the statistics, we will also be able to determine where to build bus stops and also serve the senior citizens and the people with disabilities (OKUs) better,” he said.

The Selangor government currently manages 136 units of Smart Selangor Buses which have transported 53 million passengers since 2016 across 43 routes statewide.

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