By Diana Abd Wahan
KAJANG, May 15 — The Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) transit van service will be expanded statewide to meet the needs of residents, says Ng Sze Han.
The state executive councillor for public transportation said efforts towards expansion of the services would begin after the pilot project in Bandar Puteri Puchong that kicked off in March ends next month.
He said that the state government initiative solves the last-mile issue of public transportation users getting to selected locations from their homes.
“We will launch DRT under the Selangor Mobility programme following a three-month trial period in the Kinrara state constituency that started in March.
“For now, the second DRT trial will be implemented next month in the Sungai Tua state constituency, which is represented by Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari,” he when met after the closing ceremony of the Kita Selangor Muhibbah Camp 2023 at Universiti Islam Selangor, here yesterday.
Ng said the decision to expand DRT was made after receiving encouraging feedback.
The DRT service in Bandar Puteri Puchong covers 17 residential areas and 20 commercial stops, including the Bandar Puteri and Taman Perindustrian LRT stations and the Columbia Asia Hospital.
The free transportation service with smart software to help users plan their journeys also passes through major banks, restaurants, and three existing bus stations in the area.
The Selangor Budget 2023 allocates RM25 million to strengthen public transportation, with RM22 million distributed to 11 local authorities to continue the implementation of Smart Selangor buses.
The remaining RM3 million will be distributed for the first phase of Selangor Mobility, which includes DRT van services to complete the state’s public transportation ecosystem.
Meanwhile, Ng said the Kita Selangor Muhibbah Camp 2023 would be able to enhance the spirit of unity among the multi-racial population, especially the youth.
He said that the programme exposes participants aged 16 to 24 to the basics of civic education.
“The state government welcomes this initiative because this programme embodies the idea of unity as a solution to various problems in the country.
“The diversity of religion, ethnicity, and culture is the wealth and uniqueness of this country. We hope that programmes like this can be organised by other agencies to create a united and diverse community,” he said in a speech during the closing ceremony of the programme.
Ng said that efforts to create a united community should be implemented continuously and that the program also involves school and university students to ensure that people of all levels accept and respect the reality of diversity, differences, and diversity.
Meanwhile, Selangor Darul Ehsan Islamic Student Association president Muhammad Zakir Abdul Razak said that the programme focuses on integration issues in creating unity among different races.
“Through this programme, we discuss several issues that cause conflicts and divisions that may start with small misunderstandings. We emphasise that participants need to have limits when joking or talking.
“It is a starting point for participants to find similarities and celebrate differences so that racial discrimination can be overcome from the grassroots level, starting from schools and universities,” he said.
The Muhibbah Camp 2023 was held for three days from Friday, involving 70 students from schools and higher education institutions, including the University of Selangor (Unisel), University of Malaya (UM), and Kolej Dar Al Hikmah Bangi.
