By Danial Dzulkifly
PUCHONG, April 5 — The demand-responsive transit (DRT) van service, currently in its testing stage in Selangor, is expected to enter its second phase by the middle of this year, said state executive councillor for mobility Ng Sze Han.
He said this includes an expansion of the service beyond the eight locations it currently serves, namely Puchong, Ampang, Bandar Utama, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, Klang, Serdang and Hulu Kelang.
“Currently, the utilisation rate is quite high in areas with student populations like UPM Serdang and Sunway (Subang Jaya).
“We will be discussing the possibility of expanding the service to more areas and even exploring another possible vendor, Kumpool,” he told reporters after visiting the Wawasan Hill trail here to announce the completion of a project aimed at alleviating parking concerns in the area.
DRT was introduced as part of the RM25 million Selangor Mobility initiative to enhance the state’s public transportation system, as announced by Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari during the tabling of the 2023 Selangor Budget.
There are currently two vendors offering the service in Selangor — Asia Mobiliti, which operates Trek Rides, and BadanBas Coach for Mobi.
Previously, on March 6, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the Federal government has approved and allocated RM50 million to expand special bus lanes and purchase 100 DRT vans in the Klang Valley starting in September.
The Cabinet Committee on Road Safety and Traffic Congestion chairman added that studies have indicated favourable responses to the implementation of similar special lanes in Jalan Ampang and Genting Klang since July 3, particularly in improving travelling time.
Addressing parking concerns
Commenting on the Wawasan Hill trail parking, Ng said the state government, through the Subang Jaya City Council, has completed the constructions of 49 new parking lots at the foot of the hill to address parking concerns in the area.
Specifically, the new lots are located at the Wawasan 5 commercial area, along Jalan Wawasan 5/1, Taman Wawasan, Puchong.
He said the project was initiated following increasing demand from hikers and local residents for more parking spaces.
This is considering up to a thousand hikers would visit the trail on weekends.
“The project was completed in December 2023, with a cost of RM160,000.
“We hope that with the expansion, it will facilitate hikers visiting the trail and ensure that vehicles entering the area can be parked in a more organised manner,” he said.
