Stress-free rides for only RM1 in PJ and Subang Jaya

Kumpool passengers Siti Norlian Johani, 46, and her daughter Siti Nor Qistina Balqis Zulkifli, 15, (left) propose that Desa Mentari be included as one of the van’s stops so they can reach University of Malaya Medical Centre without having to change buses twice. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star

SINCE the launch of Kumpool, passenger J. Marian has had more time for leisurely activities.

The new on-demand ride sharing service to anywhere within Sections 1 to 19 in Petaling Jaya for only RM1 per trip was launched earlier this month.

“Before this service was available, I had to wait up to an hour for a bus from my house in Jalan Templer to PJ Old Town because the buses came infrequently,” said Marian who is in her 50s.

“If I wanted to go to the Asia Jaya LRT station, I would have to change buses in PJ New Town, which would mean more waiting time.

“The Kumpool service can take me directly to my destination.

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“Its pick-up location is also nearer to my home.

“In the past, I had to walk a further 150m to take a bus,” she added.

For Amaan Khan, 32, who hops on the van at Centrestage in Section 13 to get to Phileo Damansara 2, cost-saving is a big factor.

“Booking an e-hailing ride for one would have cost me no less than RM12.

“Considering that there is so much I can do with the additional savings, I’ll be using this transport service every day,” said the Sri Lankan.

In addition to time and cost savings, those using Kumpool enjoy hassle-free journeys to traffic- congested areas and no time is wasted searching for parking space, said Kumpool head Goh Chun Hean.

Kumpool is a subsidiary of Causeway Link, a public bus company based in Johor Baru.

Goh, 33, was appointed head of the new subsidiary last June.

The van transportation service requires riders to book their journeys through an app. Payments can be made via cash or e-wallet.

“Unlike public buses, which ply a fixed route that are usually the main trunk roads and follow a schedule regardless if there are passengers or not, our van-hailing formula is to only react when there is a demand.

“If not, the vehicle remains stationary. During this time, the driver can go for his tea break if he so wishes,” he said.

Goh added that bypassing passengerless stops not only helped to lower fuel costs and lessen driver stress, it also enabled vehicles to reach passengers in the fastest time.

Built in-house by the company’s own tech development team, the Kumpool app is essentially a routing software which uses a booking algorithm to pool passengers to one vehicle, based on their pick-up and destination points.

The real work is in determining the locations of the 130 or so stops in Petaling Jaya.

“A team of four, comprising two from Kumpool and two from the Bukit Gasing assemblyman’s office, first identified the locations from Google map.

“Our focus was to ensure that the stops would be within 100m from residential areas.

“We also wanted to ensure that commercial areas were included.

“After that, we went to the ground to study the feasibility of the stops.

“Included in the team was (Bukit Gasing assemblyman) Rajiv Rishyakaran, who ensured the vehicle could stop safely for passenger pick-ups and drop-offs.

“It took us three months to complete the study,” said Goh.

With each stop no more than 500m apart, he said the secret to maintaining efficiency as a first- and last-mile transport solution provider was to limit coverage to no more than 7km in radius and 200 stops within an area.

At present, there are two vans plying the Petaling Jaya area.

The vehicles are hired from ES Travel, the tour company that is also servicing the van-pooling ride company in the Subang Jaya area, which started in December last year.

Popular with students and families, the Subang Jaya service will be introducing its fourth van by the end of this week.

To promote the service in Petaling Jaya, the state assemblyman’s office has offered free rides to the first 10,000 passengers.