By Zareef Muzammil
SHAH ALAM, June 15 — The Demand Responsive Transit (DRT) pilot project focusing on densely populated areas in Selangor is expected to start from July to December this year, says Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
The Menteri Besar said the six-month initiative under the first phase of Selangor Mobility involves implementing a proof of concept for the service.
“Recognising the limitations of the existing Smart Selangor buses that cannot access narrow and highly congested routes, the state government will implement the DRT service.
“The DRT pilot project committee will assess the feasibility of the project before expanding to other zones. We hope this project will help solve the accessibility to public transportation in some areas,” he said in his speech at the launch of the Selangor Mobility Forum at the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) Convention Centre, here today.
He said that the service will be executed by the Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec) and overseen by the Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated), or MBI.
Amirudin also said the service operations will be managed by Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd and Badanbas Coach Sdn Bhd based on the approval of the Land Public Transport Commission (Apad).
“I believe that a good transportation system can win the hearts of the people and make the state an ideal place to live, as well as attract domestic and foreign investors,” he added.
DRT provides the first and last-mile connectivity issue through a smart application, complementing efforts towards the Smart State vision 2025.
In addition, routes and schedules of the transportation system will be provided based on passenger demand, especially during peak hours.
Previously, the state administration launched a pilot project for DRT van service with an allocation of RM3 million.
The Selangor Budget 2023 allocates RM25 million to strengthen the public transportation system under the Selangor Mobility programme, with RM22 million given to 11 local authorities to continue the operations of the Smart Selangor buses.
