The federal government has expanded the BAS.MY stage bus service in the country, announcing an expansion of the service for Perlis in addition to an earlier one made for Kedah. Transport minister Anthony Loke said that RM39.7 million has been allocated over five years to sustain BAS.MY Kangar operations.
Currently, the service covers nine routes, including a cross-border link to Alor Setar, Kedah. Through the initiative, a total of 24 buses, consisting of 20 mini buses and four low-floor mini buses, will be employed to service the routes in the state.
In Kedah, 13 stage bus routes began phased operations from June 1 as part of the ministry’s stage bus services transformation (SBST) programme. For the BAS.MY Kota Setar service, the federal government has allocated RM78.5 million over five years, or RM15.7 million per year, Loke said.
A total of 48 new buses are being introduced to the BAS.MY Kota Setar service, which aims to improve the quality of stage bus services in Alor Setar and other towns, including Sungai Petani, Jitra, Kuala Kedah, Kuala Nerang, and Pendang. These are made up of six midi units and 42 low-floor mini buses.
Since its phased launch on June 1, the Kota Setar service has seen around 30,000 monthly users, with projections reaching 40,000 by month-end. However, Loke said the ministry is encouraging more users to utilise the service to ensure its long-term sustainability, as Bernama reports.
This was more so in the case of Perlis, where a decline in post-pandemic ridership was noted. “Before Covid-19, SBST Kangar recorded 30,000 monthly passengers. Now, it’s just 12,071,” he said, adding that operators would need to engage all community segments to restore pre-pandemic levels.
He said there was a need for strong ridership to justify continued financial support. “To convince the finance ministry to keep funding this, I need data proving its benefits. If people don’t use it despite affordable fares, securing future allocations will be tough,” he explained.
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