PUTRAJAYA: Kuching and Johor Baru will be the next two cities to offer the bus rapid transit (BRT) service to their commuters.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke (pix) said discussions on the proposal have been held with Sarawak Transport Minister Lee Kim Shin for Kuching and representatives of the Iskandar Regional Development Authority for Johor Baru.
Over and above that, there is also a request to upgrade the BRT system in the Klang Valley but a decision has yet to be made, he told a press conference after the Bus Rapid Transit Conference at the Le Meridien Hotel Putrajaya today.
The 6km BRT system in the Klang Valley is operated by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, a government-owned company.
On a separate matter, Loke said the government is still looking for better and more sustainable transport systems through collaboration with the private sector.
He said this includes replacing inefficient buses with less-polluting electric variants.
Recently, he announced that his ministry was acquiring 500 electric buses to replace the ageing fleet in the Klang Valley in an effort to provide a more environmentally friendly transport system.
Loke also instructed Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) to revamp its ticketing system to make it more user-friendly.
“There have been numerous complaints from commuters that the existing system is outdated and it is a struggle for them to buy tickets, especially during the year-end holidays,” he said.
He admitted that the commuter system still had weaknesses as seen from the frequent online service disruptions, especially during the long school breaks and festive holidays such as Christmas and Chinese New Year.
