The integration of the Rapid KL travel pass and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Komuter systems is difficult to implement at present due to the differences in operators, systems and operating costs between the two services, reported Bernama.
The matter of integrating the two systems has been discussed for a long time, however its implementation faces several major constraints in terms of their operational structure and scope of services, said transport minister Anthony Loke.
While the LRT, MRT and monorail services are operated by Prasarana Malaysia, the KTM Komuter is operated by KTM Berhad, thus there are two different operators with a non-standard operating system used across the services, he said.
“In addition, [KTM Komuter] journeys are longer and interstate in nature. it is not only in the Klang Valley, but can cover long routes such as from Tampin or Gemas to Klang, and even as far as Tanjung Malim in the north,” the transport minister said.
The difference in travel distance and scale of operations makes the operating cost of KTM Komuter services much higher, which makes the full integration of the Prasarana My50 pass with all rail services difficult to implement, Loke said.
Although KTM and Prasarana are government owned companies, both are still required to cover some of the operating costs to ensure to continuity of services to the people, the transport minister added.
“Every year, there is actually a large funding gap that the government has to bear. For example, KTMB’s funding gap is estimated around RM300 million, so this service is not profit-oriented, but to ensure the continuity of service, we need to recoup some of the costs,” Loke said.
The transport minister said that the government still understands the people’s need to get affordable and worthwhile public transport services, the report wrote.
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