SHAH ALAM, June 29 — Prasarana Malaysia Berhad is targeting up to 10,000 passengers on the Shah Alam LRT3 line on its first day of operations today.
Its president cum group chief executive officer Amir Hamdan described the target as a satisfactory achievement, with daily ridership expected to increase gradually to an average of 67,000 passengers within the first year of operations.
“Today marks the first day of operations on a working and school day. Passengers will need some time to familiarise themselves with the LRT3 route.
“A target of between 5,000 and 10,000 passengers on the first day is a satisfactory achievement and is comparable to the first day of operations of the Putrajaya MRT Line, which recorded a similar number of passengers despite having a longer alignment.
“We also expect more people to try using the LRT3 for their journey home during this evening’s peak hours, which will further increase ridership,” he said.
Amir was speaking during a media tour on the first day of operations of the Shah Alam Line at the Glenmarie 2 LRT Station.
He added that 44 Rapid KL buses and 40 Rapid KL On-Demand vans have been deployed along the LRT3 corridor, including 13 buses and 20 vans serving Glenmarie 2 LRT Station, to facilitate passengers' journeys.
The line is equipped with various green technology features, including LED lighting and smart sensors to improve energy efficiency.
“The train air-conditioning system is also automatically adjusted according to external weather conditions to ensure more efficient energy consumption without compromising passenger comfort,” Amir said.
In a related development, Prasarana will assess the need to introduce women-only coaches on the LRT3 based on passenger demand and travel patterns.
“The LRT3 trains use a three-car configuration, which would allow one designated section to be reserved for female passengers should there be a need in the future,” he said.
The Shah Alam LRT3 project is a strategic government investment worth RM16.63 billion aimed at strengthening the country's public transport infrastructure. The 37.8-kilometre line connects Johan Setia and Bandar Utama via 20 stations.
During its launch ceremony at the Johan Setia LRT Depot yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced one month of free travel on the Shah Alam LRT3 service and its feeder buses, effective from today until July 31.
