SHAH ALAM, Nov 10 — The Selangor government is focusing on improving first- and last-mile connectivity to encourage more people to use public transport.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said the initiative was crucial to addressing gaps in accessibility between commuters' homes and public transport stations or stops, as well as their final destinations.
"One of the biggest challenges in public transport is first- and last-mile connectivity — getting from the office to the station, and from the station to home. This is a basic necessity that has often been overlooked and needs to be addressed.
"If the distance is relatively short, perhaps between 200 and 500 metres, people could simply walk. However, we have to contend with hot weather and the surrounding terrain.
"I must acknowledge that this is one of our weaknesses. We have major transport facilities already in place or under construction, but first- and last-mile connectivity has not been adequately incorporated into the planning," he said.
He was speaking during a special interview with Media Selangor in conjunction with the tabling of the Selangor Budget 2027, held recently at the Menteri Besar's official residence.
Amirudin said the state government had introduced the Smart Selangor Bus service to encourage public transport use and provide residents with an accessible travel option.
He added that the initiative had been strengthened through the expansion of Demand Responsive Transit (DRT) services to complement the public transport network and make commuting more convenient.
"However, we acknowledge that the effectiveness of the Smart Selangor Bus and DRT services has yet to reach the desired level and requires continuous improvement.
"We have tried the DRT service, but in my view, the response has been relatively low. We now realise that the real issue is first- and last-mile connectivity.
"So we will focus on this to make it easier for people to travel from residential neighbourhoods across commercial areas to reach LRT stations, or vice versa. This is a basic necessity that may have been overlooked and needs to be addressed urgently in 2027," he said.
Previously, the Selangor government was reported to be planning continuous audits to identify problematic pedestrian routes leading to public transport stations that require immediate improvements.
State executive councillor for mobility Ng Sze Han said the audits would involve local authorities (PBT) and relevant agencies, focusing on pedestrian routes around Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations.
On June 1, the Selangor government announced a RM30 monthly fare subsidy under the Selangor Resilience Package to encourage greater public transport use.
The programme offers fare subsidies to 50,000 eligible applicants for six months until December 2026.
