KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — The van service to ferry schoolchildren from train stations at 50 sen per trip, as announced in Budget 2025, will be implemented via the Demand Responsive Transit (DRT) service.
The Transport Ministry (MOT) in a statement today said this will serve as alternative transport for students, aimed at reducing costs.
“Two routes have been identified for the DRT pilot tests, involving the Sri Rampai and Melati LRT stations.
“The initiative aims to reduce the financial burden on parents by introducing cheaper fares. Currently, school van fares are RM90 per month, while the DRT fare is only 50 sen (per trip) for students and RM1 for regular passengers,” the statement read.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling Budget 2025 yesterday, announced an allocation of RM750 million for MOT’s public transport initiatives, in line with the government’s goal to reduce living costs and improve the quality of public services.
Regarding the procurement of electric buses, MOT said the first phase, involving 250 buses, will roll out from the fourth quarter of 2025 until the fourth quarter of 2026. The second phase, comprising 645 buses, is scheduled for 2027 to 2028.
“These acquisitions are necessary to replace ageing buses, improve passenger safety and reduce maintenance costs.
“This initiative will expand capacity, reduce headways (the time interval between public vehicles on the same route), provide a more comfortable travel experience for passengers, and support the government’s environmental sustainability goals,” it said.
The ministry also welcomed the decision to continue the My50 Monthly Pass for Prasarana rail and bus services in the Klang Valley, and will follow up with the Finance Ministry regarding the funding approved for 2025, following this year’s allocation of RM200 million.
As for the free fare initiative for Malaysian university, polytechnic, community college and matriculation students nationwide using the BAS.MY service, MOT said it is expected to benefit over 400,000 students at more than 60 institutions.
It will also identify 100 locations to construct or upgrade bus stops, in collaboration with the private sector and government-linked companies.
Meanwhile, the MOT has identified 22 locations for the installation of the High-Speed Weigh-in-Motion (HS-WiM) system nationwide.
It said proactive measures have been taken to expand the use of the HS-WiM system, particularly on highways, roads near ports, and newly identified rail project routes that are hotspots for overloaded vehicles and crashes.
The ministry said the installation of the system at selected locations, as announced in Budget 2025 yesterday, demonstrates the government’s concern over the rising death toll caused by road crashes involving overloaded vehicles.
“As of the first quarter of 2024, 287 fatal accidents involving overloaded vehicles were reported by the Royal Malaysia Police,” the statement said.
It also said that in 2025, it will procure new electric train sets, which would increase capacity by up to 1.5 million passengers annually and improve service frequency during peak hours.
“The ministry will acquire 24 new electric train sets for the northern and southern commuter service to standardise the quality of commuter services with those in the Klang Valley.”
