KUCHING: The My50 initiative, a programme managed by the Ministry of Transport Malaysia, will be launched as part of the new BAS.MY Kuching system.
Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin, said the initiative aims to encourage and increase ridership among users.
He said the fare will be based on the distance and charged via a prepaid card, which costs RM50 per month and offers unlimited travel for 30 days.
The card can be recharged monthly and is free for students, people with disabilities (OKU), and senior citizens, who must apply for a BAS.MY concession card.
“These new buses are equipped with closed-circuit television (CCTV), low decks, are OKU-friendly, and feature GPS tracking systems.
“With these new buses, we hope more people will use public transport and help reduce traffic congestion in the city,” he said after inspecting the BAS.MY buses at the Open Air Market on Tuesday.
Lee added that enforcement agencies will ensure that each bus operates on schedule and adheres to the terms outlined in the Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) Agreement.
“The Ministry of Transport Sarawak has been working closely with the Ministry of Transport Malaysia and the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) Sarawak to ensure the smooth implementation of this public bus modernisation and transformation in Sarawak.
“We hope this project can be extended to other regions of Sarawak as well,” he added.
Lee also noted that the route from Open Air Market to Serian, which started today, involves six new buses with a 60-minute frequency.
BAS.MY Kuching utilises an open payment system, allowing users to pay with debit or credit cards, e-wallets, or cash.
Meanwhile, CVLB Chairman, Michael Kong, said the board will ensure strict compliance by the operator to meet service standards, punctuality, and frequency requirements as stated in the contract.
“Our team will continue to monitor operations closely and fine-tune the system to ensure it meets the needs of the public,” Kong said.
