KUALA LUMPUR – It is estimated that 45.2% of Go KL free bus service users are foreigners, said Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias.
Therefore, he did not rule out the possibility of proposing to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) that foreigners who use the service in the future should be charged.
“They are using this service for free. If we collect only RM1 for each use by these foreigners, we can collect RM9.2 million every month,” he said during a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Negara today.
He said this in response to a supplementary question from senator Datuk Mohd Hisamudin Yahaya who wanted to know the number of foreigners using the free bus service and whether the government plans to charge them for using the service in the future.
In his reply to senator Datuk Dominic Lau Hoe Chai’s supplementary question on the reason why locals do not use public transport in the capital, Jalaluddin said that one of the main reasons is that the first- and last-mile connectivity is still not satisfactory.
In addition, users claim that it is faster to use their own vehicle compared to using public transport.
“The first mile between homes to the starting point of public transport and to the final stop of the public transport to the office... this is what we have to upgrade and include in DBKL’s long-term plan,” he said. – Bernama, August 10, 2022
