ETS Discounts, ERL Passes To Drive Public Transport Uptake

By Mohd Ashraf Syafiq Mazlan & Norhayati Mohd Akhir

PUTRAJAYA, April 15 (Bernama) -- Initiatives offering discounts on Electric Train Service (ETS) tickets and the introduction of two new monthly travel passes by Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL) are seen as potential catalysts for changing public mobility habits, particularly among civil servants.

A lecturer at the School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Prof Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said the initiatives announced by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) yesterday could enhance the appeal of public transport as an alternative to private vehicles.

“It has the potential to encourage (public transport usage), but its impact will depend on implementation.

“Fundamentally, initiatives such as fare discounts and improvements in access or services can attract new users, particularly cost-sensitive commuters. This helps make public transport more competitive compared to private vehicles,” he told Bernama.

Meanwhile, Sivamurugan said the 30 per cent discount on ETS tickets would attract marginal users to shift from cars to rail services.

“This will in turn reduce petrol or diesel usage and ease congestion along rail corridors.

"This is a short-term or targeted strategy suitable for crisis situations, in response to cost of living pressures and uncertainties in global energy prices,” he said, adding that improved rail service efficiency would further boost ridership in the future.

On the monthly passes, he said the move could reduce reliance on private vehicles among civil servants, while helping to cut fuel consumption and congestion in the administrative capital.

However, he stressed that the effectiveness of the initiatives would still depend on overall implementation and service improvements.

“Behavioural change is also expected to occur consistently if supported by other factors such as high train frequency, punctuality, comfort and safety. I believe MOT will continue to enhance service quality for long-term effectiveness,” he said.

Meanwhile, a fast food restaurant worker at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1, Nur Alyaa Qistina Mohd Bazlisham, 25, said the introduction of the MyKLIA Monthly Travel Card would allow her to enjoy greater savings compared to existing monthly passes.

“Previously, I paid RM230 a month for the existing pass for travel from Putrajaya station to KLIA. Now, it is only RM150 for unlimited travel. This means I can save RM80 every month,” she said.

Civil servant Mohd Amir Irfan Mohd Khusairi, 33, described the move as timely in helping workers who rely on public transport daily to commute to work.

He said he previously paid RM4.70 for a one-way trip from his rented home in Putrajaya to Salak Tinggi, Sepang, but with the MyPutrajaya Monthly Travel Card, the cost is expected to be reduced to RM75 for unlimited monthly travel.

“The new monthly pass gives me flexibility to commute without worrying about additional costs, thus reducing financial pressure,” he said.

Yesterday, the government announced a 30 per cent discount on ETS tickets across all sectors as well as the Ekspres Rakyat Timuran (ERT) service on the JB Sentral–Tumpat–JB Sentral route to help Malaysians cope with rising living costs following fuel price increases due to the West Asian crisis.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the initiative is implemented in collaboration with Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) as well as ERL, which will introduce two new monthly travel passes — the MyPutrajaya Monthly Travel Card specifically for civil servants working or residing in Putrajaya, and the MyKLIA Monthly Travel Card for Malaysians working at KLIA Terminals 1 and 2.

-- BERNAMA