Govt expects boost in public tranport usage with My50 unlimited travel pass from Jan 1

PETALING JAYA: The unlimited travel pass priced at RM50 monthly for the use of Prasarana Malaysia Berhad's rail and bus services in the Klang Valley will kick off on Jan 1.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the My50 unlimited rail and bus pass replaces the previous My30 unlimited travel pass, which was introduced by the Government under the PENJANA scheme in June 2020.

"The promotion period for My30 ends on 31 December 2021 and it will be replaced with a RM50 per month travel pass, which was announced by the Finance Minister in the proposed Budget 2022 in the Dewan Rakyat on October 29, with RM115mil set aside for the initiative," Dr Wee said in a press conference to announce the introduction of the My50 travel pass at the Gombak LRT Station today.

He added that the introduction of the My50 travel pass was proof of the government's concern over the welfare and well-being of the people, especially in the current challenging situation in line with the aspirations of the "Malaysian Family".

Open exclusively to Malaysians, the My50 travel pass offered unlimited travel to Malaysians to use all public transport services operated by Prasarana such as the LRT, MRT, BRT, Monorail and Rapid KL stop-and-go buses as well as Jom Naik MRT shuttle buses by simply paying RM50 for a period of use of 30 consecutive days.

The My50 travel pass facility was also available in Penang for unlimited use of the Rapid Penang bus service under the Pas Mutiara label.

"For Penang, the travel pass will be called the My50 Mutiara Pass and can be used for the Rapid Penang service bus stop," said Dr Wee, adding that for now, the travel pass facility has not been extended to Rapid Kuantan, which is another Prasarana-operated bus service network.

To make this travel pass initiative a success, the Government has allocated RM115mil as a subsidy payment to cover the costs incurred by Prasarana in providing world-class public transport services, he said.

"With the introduction of this My50 travel pass and with the continuous good development of the National Recovery Plan (NRP), we are confident that 2022 will see an increase in the number of passengers using Prasarana-operated services," he added.

Overall for 2021, based on data up to December 24, the average number of daily passengers handled by Prasarana is 462,246 passengers with the average number of rail passengers at 324,517 per day and 137,729 passengers for buses, which cover Rapid KL, Rapid Penang and Rapid Kuantan services.

Before the outbreak of Covid-19, Prasarana used to handle up to 1.1 million passengers a day in 2019, said Dr Wee.

"With its capacity and capacity, Prasarana is able to increase the frequency of trains and buses it operates if demand increases; while ensuring that passengers continue to enjoy a comfortable, smooth and safe journey," added Dr Wee.

Although it was a huge investment for the government to provide the unlimited travel pass, Dr Wee said it was crucial to do so as the public transport sector plays a role in the wellbeing of the people and the economic development of the country.

"As emphasised by the Prime Minister when launching the Malaysian Family Pass on Nov 22, public transport has a big role in achieving the aspirations of the Malaysian Family.

"Apart from being a tool to unite the nation in achieving the aspirations of the Malaysian Family, efficient public transport services will also encourage the development of commercial activities and generate economic growth for the country.

"Therefore, it is my sincere hope that the people continue to support public transport services and use the facilities provided by this My50 unlimited travel pass to revitalise the country's economy and the spirit of Malaysian Family unity," Dr Wee added.

Although the My30 travel pass expired on December 31, Dr Wee said those who bought the travel pass and the Mutiara Pass on that day could continue to enjoy the facility until January 30, 2022 before having to switch to the My50 pass.

In the Klang Valley, the public could purchase the My50 travel pass at Rapid KL customer service offices at all LRT, MRT, Monorail and BRT (Sunway Line) stations.

The pass was also available at selected KL Rapid Bus hubs such as Pasar Seni, Chow Kit, KLCC, Sri Nilam, Puchong Utama, Pearl Point, Sunway Pyramid, Greenwood and Section 2 Shah Alam.

Purchasing locations in Penang are at selected Rapid Penang kiosks such as KOMTAR, Weld Quay (Terminal B), Penang Sentral, Bukit Jambul Rapid Penang Headquarters (Lorong Kulit), Dato Kailan Complex (Kepala Batas), Balik Pulau and Bukit Mertajam.