PETALING JAYA: Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) will introduce 300 new vans to its Demand Responsive Transit (DRT) service, operated by Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd, starting this December.
Its president and group chief executive officer Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah said the new vans would be delivered in phases from December through June next year.
The first phase will see the deployment of 30 vans, with 10 of them equipped with advanced safety features and designed to be accessible for persons with disabilities (PWD).
"The increase in vans is in response to the rising demand for DRT services, which were introduced to enhance the existing Rapid Bus operations and serve as a critical 'first-last mile' link for Rapid KL's rail services in the Klang Valley and Penang," Mohd Azharuddin said during a press briefing at the Taman Bahagia LRT Station here today.
Since its introduction in May last year with just one route and one van, the Rapid DRT service in the Klang Valley has expanded to nine routes with a fleet of 18 vans.
The service was also launched in Penang on Aug 1, covering one route with two vans.
The routes include Alam Megah LRT Station-Section 27 Shah Alam, Taman Paramount LRT-Kampung Baiduri, Taman Bahagia LRT-SS6, Sri Rampai LRT-Giant Ulu Kelang, Asia Jaya LRT-Phileo Damansara MRT and Farlim-Air Itam in Penang.
Mohd Azharuddin also shared that the expanded fleet will enable the extension of DRT services to other rail-linked areas such as Putrajaya, Kajang, and Ampang, as well as underserved areas without existing rail or Rapid Bus services, like Kuala Kubu Baru.
He assured that there are no plans to increase fares, emphasising that the primary objective is to provide excellent and satisfactory service to users.
"With a fare of just RM1 per trip, the Rapid DRT service has proven highly beneficial, attracting 126,656 passengers as of July 31," he added.
In addition, he said Prasarana is exploring the implementation of an open payment system that would allow passengers to use various payment methods across all Prasarana services, moving beyond the current reliance on Touch 'n Go cards and the My50 travel pass. – BERNAMA