PUTRAJAYA, April 14 — The proposal to integrate the Rapid KL travel pass with the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) komuter service is difficult to implement at present, due to the differences in operators, systems, and operating costs between the two services.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the issue of integrating the pass has been discussed for a long time, but its implementation faces several major constraints related to operational structure and service scope.
The LRT, MRT, and monorail services are operated by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, while the komuter service is under the control of KTMB, thus involving two different operators with a non-standard operating system.
"In addition, komuter journeys are longer and interstate in nature. It is not only within the Klang Valley, but can cover long routes such as from Tampin or Gemas to Klang, and even as far as Tanjung Malim in the north," he said during a media conference on the campaign to use rail to address rising fuel costs today.
Loke added that the difference in travel distance and scale of operations makes the operating cost of komuter services much higher, thus making full integration of the My50 pass with all rail services difficult to implement.
Although KTMB and Prasarana are government-owned companies (GLCs), both still need to cover some operating costs to ensure the continuity of services for the public.
Malaysia's public transport services are not profit-oriented but rather function as a public service requiring continuous financial support from the government.
"Every year, there is actually a large funding gap that the government has to bear. For example, KTMB's funding gap is estimated at around RM300 million.
"So this service is not profit-oriented...but to ensure the continuity of the service, we need to recoup some of the costs," he said.
However, Loke emphasised that the government still understands the people's need to get affordable and worthwhile public transport services.
