Ridership on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system is averaging around 140,000 passengers a day, but the rail project is still some way away from any profitability. According to deputy finance minister Datuk Othman Aziz, it will need to meet a target of 250,000 passengers on a daily basis to break even, Bernama reports.
However, he explained that the MRT was envisioned as a long-term project and was not viewed as something that would generate a return of investment in a short timeframe. He added that the overall cost to develop the three MRT lines will be around RM100 billion.
“So far, we are recording between 130,000 and 140,000 passengers a day. We expect to achieve our break-even point when the MRT, as well as its related housing and commercial projects are completed,” he said.
“Right now, there are six stations which have yet to be fully completed and utilised, namely the Kwasa Damansara, Kwasa Sentral, Kampung Selamat, Sungai Buloh, TRX and Merdeka 118 stations,” he told the Dewan Rakyat in response to a query regarding the project’s income and profitability.
The 51 km-long Sungai Buloh-Kajang line of the MRT network began operations in December 2016 with the opening of phase one, with the line being fully open in July with the launch of phase two. Last August, it was reported that the MRT SBK line had ferried around 7.4 million passengers since it began operating.
Waste of money…poor connectivity..rubbish
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Syukurr.. Federal highway alredi toll free. cheaper and faster to drive than MRT.. hehe
Traffic jam KL bound along MRT line is getting better now. You said it’s failure? Check your mind.
At least this will benefit Klang Valley residents directly and indirectly. Have you noticed that traffic during rush hour is now less? That’s indirectly benefiting you.
Like it or not, big cities need good public transport system. Millions live & work in big cities and these people need transportation. Would you prefer everyone either riding a kapchai of driving to work? The roads can’t handle that amount of vehicles.
Get them to reduce the MRT car parking rate… to be same as LRT.. u will see more passengers
another failed project like Proton. Then later, beg for China to buy MRT out just like Proton
U think MRT like ur undersea tunnel projek meh?
aiyoh, only allow the rich people like paultan to drive to work, the rest mandatory take train and feeder bus! weekend terbalik, paultan take train, we get to drive around.
Fake news!
Lotsa development around MRT stations not yet fully realised. Pusat Bandar is one that will be fakking overwhelmed, once the redevelopment of PBD is completed. Kwasa is another one.
Oso ridership will skyrocket once MRT2 is up and running full length. Be patient Datuk Othman. Public transportation is a marathon not a sprint. It will benefit immensely in long run.
Yes, it’s a long term project. Who is footing the bills since it’s been loosing $$$ from Dec 2016 ??!
Of cuz its gov, but why does it matter. Globally, very very few public transports is affordable yet profitable, most of these rely on massive usage from megalopolises which KL with its 2million pipu, is not.
Its service back to the community and we shud sapot it instead clamouring for epic multihour traffic jams like some cities.
GST & land selling
GST & subsidy rationalisation. Land selling is by those 2 states not under fedgov.
Definitely not u
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You just have to dig deeper and learn more about Kwasa… most of the lands there belong to you-know-who. Can’t talk too much
Yes. And most it r just starting to develop around their stations. By the time these townships fully mature, even these 2 will be overwhelmed with users. These developments takes a long term look.
Ya la so expensive. Look at the ERL ridiculous prices too. Cheaper to take grab car if travel in groups
With Uber gone, Grab prices will only go up and up somemore still stuck in jams. Grab only viable for last mile connectivity. MRTs & LRTs still winrar.
KWAP has Uber shares. Mind you
KWAP shares just transfer to Grab with the sales.
ERl affordable la, you compare it with ETs or japan rail
250,000 passengers daily, Proton to sell 400,000 cars. Lets buy Proton car & ride MRT !
Putrajaya MRT will definitely boost riderships
make it cheaper fare and allocate more parking lots so that people can park conveniently. currently whether it’s KTM, Ampang line or Kelana Line, parking is a problem. Parking spots cannot cope with the number of riders.
Park n Rides r selow to setup vis a vis to the stations. But they coming online one by one, be patient.
what we need is more feeder bus for first & last mile like singapore
Yeah even Audi owner also wants to ride MRT
if gets to exactly where you need to be, why not? why bother with tolls, searching/fighting for parking spots. like I used to stay at Villa Putera, next to, what was then, The Mall, and worked in Midvalley. i took the Komuter, period. saved a bunch on fuel n parking costs, not to mention having more time to read.
all MRT stations are well serviced by feeder bus services. why still drive & burn fuel
Furthermore with well serviced public transportation, it can reduce quite a numbers of SOV (single occupancy vehicle) esp in town area.
kindly share the cost structure and expenses before quoting a 250,000 breakeven point.
that assumption is also too broad. 250k commuters needed from sungai buloh to kajang or what? the fare is vastly different.
Probably average ticket sales collected from the ~140k daily users, extrapolate to the daily ROI for this line.
in reality they should have more data than just using average.
a proper forecast is calculated in details. they have all the data of commuters, which station in and out. and base on the population of the area, how much more you can expect. rather than having a broad number of saying I need 250k commuters. is it even realistic? and by quoting the problem, what’s the resolution? was there a miscalculation when choosing a location of the station?
if it is that kind of simple average, that’s high school maths. and I think we expect more from our finance ministry. we don’t just expect people to say the problem. we expect the resolution, accountability and ownership.
If you’re appointed to run this system, can you make sure you can operate this like how you expect “they” would?
klang valley will still jam no matter if got mrt, lrt and such, better upgrade highways and connect all state in peninsular, i think will boost more income to country, if state can generate more income…my 20 cents
LRT and MRT had shot up by about 80% since 2 years ago and now its expensive to take public transport, blame it on your ticket pricing.
So, again. If you were given the chance to manage Malaysia’s public transport system, what could you do? Can you lower the prices & make sure you have enough to maintain/ keep the whole system running smoothly?
The ones that cannot afford to fly, they opt for alternatives. Not whining about how costly it is to fly.
If you can’t afford Wagyu beef, you go for instant noodles. Not whining about how costly Wagyu beef is.
Sound like we going to increase the fare soon. Let’s hope I’m wrong.
Already increased. Public bus/ train all gone up already!!!
we used to have monthly pass and that really used to help rakyat alot. what happened to the monthly pass now? how you expect someone earning below RM2K to pay few hundreds just for travelling from Subang to KL everyday for work.
Come on decision makers, public transport is meant to serve public and ease daily life; not to burden. We are moving backward.
This is the real condition. Its the ridership that determines the economic of lrt mrt or any urban transportation mode. Include those uber etc
But one stupid blogger said lrt star whatever before was bankrupt and had to be bailed out
It wasnt.
Its just low riderships. And mrt is next.
Why it is next? Because all urban transportations ie lrt mrt run on subsidy. Government set a subsidy period and will continue until when it wants
But not indefinite subsidy
Once subsidy finishes, then prices go up. When prices go up lesser ridership
When less ridership, and loss more than gain, it goes on bankrupt.
So now this 250,000 is number while on subsidy?
Just imagine the number it requires as subsidy finishes
300,000? 400,000?
Goodluck stupid blogger
best comment ever. Just like our RM60 billion ECRL. East coast people so poor. How to afford RM200 ticket???
Rm200 per person seriously better buy bus tickets at rm50?
Poor you how long have you been living in east coast to give that statement ?
Not even 5% of kl population taking this…nvm whole of KV…looks like our tax money going down forver into the longkang for decades…build more uni…schools..scholoships…hospitals 1st la…basic amenities…widen the bloody roads..drainage…now too late nomore $$$..
Widen the road not all location can be done.. and also its not effective way..
As other thing basic amenities i agree.. education and health need to be focus more
Its meant for the masses. Fares are too expensive. Cant afford!
So expensive, and inconvenient, I might as well drive.
Enjoy ur traffic jams.
Lose is lose la, say expensive only.Our journey only takes 45mins from sub urb to pj.Your car can win at 4am .Time to sell your car, good RV
Want a higher rideship numbers..first try to lower your charges for parking facilities (if you have any), fares (those in the lower income can’t afford the current fares) and also provide more free bus shuttles in and around the vicinity of the MRT stations..If there are no changes to the efficiency of MRT..will be a waste of taxpayers monies.
Want a higher ridership numbers..first try to lower your charges for parking facilities (if you have any), fares (those in the lower income can’t afford the current fares) and also provide more free bus shuttles in and around the vicinity of the MRT stations..If there are no changes to the efficiency of MRT..will be a waste of taxpayers monies.
What I think is, most working adults already have a car to commute, but the fresh grad like me, I depend on the public transport, so far so good.
How about komuter?
Slow service timing, poor ticket service, even sometime no need to buy ticket also can went through..
Create new train services but did nothing to old train line?