On 16th January, Rapid KL management terminated services for 16 feeder bus routes and 3 trunk bus routes as part of a bus network ‘restructuring’. The reasons given were low passenger numbers on these routes and the availability of alternatives such as the Rapid On-Demand service in the affected areas. Rapid-On-Demand is a demand-responsive transit (DRT) system, where vans are dispatched based on passenger requests within a specific zone, rather than following fixed routes or schedules like regular buses. Using a mobile app, passengers can book a ride from a designated pick-up point (usually a bus stop) to their destination within the same zone at any time. The system then plans the most direct route while factoring in other bookings, functioning almost like an e-hailing service such as Grab.
Despite this, Rapid-On-Demand users frequently face multiple prominent issues when using the service. First of all, a large portion of users often faced difficulties in getting even a vehicle for their journey, especially during peak hours. The provided vans have far smaller passenger capacity compared to buses, only seating up to 10 people maximum at a time. Due to this, cancelled bookings are commonplace during periods of high demand — especially rush hours — in areas where the DRT vans are insufficient in numbers. This shows that DRT is not a suitable replacement for permanent bus routes, especially in dense, urban areas.
Besides that, the vans also experience delays because of factors such as traffic jams and routes being redirected to pick up a new passenger. As a result, passengers are forced to wait much longer all while their journey’s duration remains unpredictable. This is particularly noticeable in bustling zones such as city centers and other concentrated areas.
Recently, Prasarana has announced that they will provide 31 new zones for Rapid-On-Demand in Klang Valley. At the same time however, not only will the fare for Rapid-On-Demand be increased from RM1 to RM2, this service’s fare will no longer be included in certain passes, especially the My50 pass. This means that users of the My50 pass will soon be charged with this fare for every journey, just like other users who do not use the My50 pass.
Because of this, we question whether Prasarana and the Madani government are actually serious when it comes to encouraging the use of public transport by the people of this country. We are also upset with how these decisions were made, without ANY involvement of affected parties such as the daily passengers, local residents or even the local authorities. Such a strategy not only strains users’ finances, but it also comes off as forcing the DRT service to become a core pillar of public transport in these affected areas. This severely limits the options available to public transport users, most notably the low-income groups.
In terms of costs, beginning on the 1st of February, regular users who rely on the Rapid-On-Demand service have no option but to spend as much as RM 80 just to bridge their first and last mile connectivity, e.g. from their home to workplace. They would have to spend RM4 a day for the return trip. By assuming there are 20 working days in a month, this amounts to RM 80 in just a month, not to mention the extra RM 50 needed for a My50 pass given this service is no longer covered by the pass. The sudden increase in costs will most certainly put pressure on the users’ wallets, particularly if they are using a My50 pass, and possibly even result in some users giving up this service to switch to personal transport instead.
The dwindling amount of passengers is not a valid excuse to simply terminate affected bus routes without a trusted alternative. The recent unilateral terminations are a betrayal towards the people who are reliant on these bus routes, no matter how little they were. What Prasarana SHOULD do instead is to figure out how to increase the usage of those bus routes instead. It could be that the buses were not frequent enough or that a journey takes longer because of winding routes, or maybe it is due to basic amenities like proper bus stops and pedestrian footpaths to stops along the way being neither safe nor satisfactory.
With that being said, in addition to our demands under the #KempenMy30 campaign, we also urge Prasarana to:
- Reevaluate the decision to cancel the bus routes and engage with all affected parties transparently.
- Increase the frequency of buses to attract more people to use public transport.
- Refocus DRT services (Rapid-On-Demand) as just a supplement to the existing network, NOT to replace it entirely.
- Have the DRT service be covered by the My50 pass again.
Next, we would also suggest to the government to create an integrated body or agency for transportation and city planning, similar to Singapore’s Land Transport Authority. This organisation could involve mobility experts, city planners, academics, architects, and even local municipality staff. This is so that decisions regarding all transport modes such as buses, trains, DRT, roads and city planning can be made holistically and comprehensively. For now, all of this is split up among multiple different parties (e.g. MOT, KKR, PBT) and as a result, the decisions made rarely prioritise the actual needs of the users.
This integrated body should be given the mandate to coordinate policy across all sectors. Its scope would include:
- Letting a national direction to reduce dependence on private vehicles
- Shifting daily travel towards public transport and active mobility (walking and cycling)
- Aligning infrastructure investment so that road construction and urban development support rather than undermine bus and rail systems
- Shaping urban development to be more transit-oriented.
Public transport users have the right to demand service that is safe, comprehensive, trustworthy and appropriate; we do not want a system that is inconsistent and needlessly burdening. We implore Prasarana and the government to act immediately, rather than rely on false solutions such as replacing existing buses with DRT, and to not increase the transit fare on a whim. We fully urge the government to get their priorities straight and focus on improving people’s lives in every decision related to public transport.
Good public transportation is the right of all people!
Muhamad Irfan,
KempenMy30 Campaign Committee Member,
(Translated by Azraei Iskandar Putra Bin Massrol Nizzam)
Sources:
https://www.bernama.com/bm/am/news.php?id=2511122
https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2026/01/20/on-demand-shuttle-service-to-expand-with-53-new-zones
https://x.com/askrapidkl/status/2010180686892937692