SHAH ALAM – The Selangor government aims to solve the last-mile snag in public transportation with an app-based van service commuters can use to reach destinations not serviced by buses or light rails.
Known as demand-responsive transit (DRT) vans, they are to be introduced within the first quarter of next year, state executive councillor for public transport Ng Sze Han told The Vibes.
RM3 million has been allocated to this under the RM25 million rebranded Selangor Mobility initiative which deals with public transportation in the state. The DRT van programme aims to complete the state’s public transport ecosystem and offer solutions for last-mile connectivity.
“It is a smart routing app that is quite similar to e-hailing services with an intelligent system.
“It will navigate the narrow and concentrated commercial zones and housing areas at pick-up points, unlike buses, which can’t serve some sections,” Ng said in an interview.
He added that the DRT vans would serve commuters between a 5km to 8km radius for each locality.
“We will try to minimise the radius to ensure effective first and last-mile service,” he said.
It is learned that the Selangor government is finalising talks with a service provider soon.
The DRT will also “fill the gap and connect the dots from the existing Smart Selangor bus”, Ng said.
He said that the Selangor Mobility phase one programme in the six local councils would offer DRT van transit hubs as a “first-mile, last-mile service”.
“I’ll give you an example. A user from a housing section in Bandar Baru Puchong who would like to go to big commercial areas, where a bus service isn’t applicable – the van can drop off the passenger (at that destination).
“The van will then pick up passengers, based on the app’s algorithms, at the nearest possible pick-up point from the commuter’s home, retail shops, or offices – or it could probably be at the doorstep depending on the route or road access,” Ng added.
He also said that a trial run will be initiated in Bandar Baru Puchong possibly in February.
The areas with DRT van services are the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council, Klang Municipal Council, Selayang Municipal Council, Petaling Jaya City Council, Subang Jaya City Council and Shah Alam City Council.
According to a test run provider Kumpool Ride, trial runs for DRT vans have started since April in Petaling Jaya, Cyberjaya, and Subang Jaya.
These runs recorded usage by around 273,000 passengers with 182,000 trips, or a ratio of 1.5 pax per booking.
Unlike the free bus service under Smart Selangor, Ng has confirmed that the fare for the van service won’t be free.
“It will be heavily subsidised by the state government and the charge will be reasonable,” he explained.
Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran said a RM1 fare was introduced in his constituency under a DRT van pilot run since April.
“Many said they don’t mind paying as long as the service is reliable and efficient,” he noted.
Rajiv said from general observations during the trial period, commuters who used the DRT vans came from all walks of life.
“In PJ, most who use the van service are the working crowd taking it as first or last-mile transportation to LRT stations, and the working crowd to lunch joints and malls, including senior citizens,” he pointed out.
It is understood that during the trial runs, over 100 stops were utilised, including Subang Taylors College, Sunway Pyramid, Inti College, Asia Jaya, SS15, the Taman Jaya and Taman Bahagia LRT stations, Jaya One and Digital Mall, Putrajaya Sentral, Dpulze Mall, and Tamarind Square.
“It has been an average rate of 60% customer retention, with improvement to first and last-mile connectivity to public transport hubs by 80% to 90%,” said Kumpool Ride’s head Chun Hean Goh, which also operates a similar service in Wangsa Maju and Johor Baru.
Interestingly, Ng said the DRT concept won’t be limited to vans only.
“It might be applied to other modes of transportation in the future. We want to start with vans, and we’ll see from there how to make it more effective, and maximise the use of an on-demand app.”
The larger picture in the future, he said, would be an app under the umbrella of Selangor Mobility for people to plan their journeys when using public transport.
“It has the potential for an integration of services, not just Smart Selangor buses and DRT, but several future modes of public transport, including last-mile connectivity,” he added.
“We would also like to encourage micro-mobility vehicles usage such as improving dedicated access paths, and this will be further discussed with the local councils,” he said, adding that 11 local councils would continue to utilise the RM22 million allocation for the Selangor Smart Bus service next year. – The Vibes, December 14, 2022
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