New pink buses, cashless payment system across country under SBST programme

• Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said Negeri Sembilan is the first to launch the operation, with 46 buses consisting of 44 minibuses and two vans costing RM79 million in allocation from the federal government under Package B.

JELEBU (Aug 16): The Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) programme will be enhanced with new pink buses and a cashless payment system across the country.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said Negeri Sembilan is the first to launch the operation, with 46 buses consisting of 44 minibuses and two vans costing RM79 million in allocation from the federal government under Package B, on Friday.

"Gopi Travel Tours Sdn Bhd is entrusted as the operator of the SBST service network for three corridors, namely Kuala Klawang, Kuala Pilah/Bahau and Port Dickson, including 10 routes connecting the area with the city of Seremban in a five-year contract, while Package A for other routes will be launched later.

"We are targeting implementation in Johor Bahru, Melaka, Kangar, Ipoh, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan, Kota Setar, Kota Bharu and also Sabah and Sarawak.

"Each state except the Klang Valley and Penang will be implemented in phases, where we will also launch this bus in Melaka soon, which already has a new contractor appointed, while other states will have to wait for the old contract to expire," he said.

Loke, who is also the member of Parliament for Seremban, said this at a press conference after launching the SBST at the Kuala Klawang Bus Terminal here on Friday.

He said the pink colour was chosen as the new bus design, so that it looks cheerful and attracts more people to use the public transport.

"The Seremban City Council and the state government are also upgrading Terminal One, which is a hub for buses, so hopefully by next year, the project will be completed to give a new look for people to wait for buses comfortably," he said.

Loke said the bus route frequency is set at 30 minutes to an hour consistently, which is monitored through the Global Positioning System (GPS) directly, and equipped with closed-circuit television.

"We don't want to hear passengers waiting for two to three hours without a bus. If the operator doesn't follow the schedule, we will cut the payment to them," he said.

According to him, the initiative to provide free fares under the 'myBAS concession' for the elderly, the disabled and school students will also continue when using the service by registering.

He said as an additional service to the people of Seremban and the state, the appointed operators are also required to provide BAS.MY Medik services through reservation to serve patients with limited mobility, such as wheelchair-bound patients, for specific medical treatment purposes such as to dialysis centres or hospitals.

"This service is a paid service, with a minimal fare charged," he said.

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