(From left) Zarul, Khairil, Ku Jamil and Sharul Azwa showing how the chair works to help those with mobility issues board the Rapid On-Demand van. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
Commuters in the Klang Valley and Penang can expect better connectivity as Prasarana Malaysia Bhd will be adding 53 new zones to its Rapid On- Demand service by end-2028.
Of these, 31 will be in the Klang Valley and the rest in Penang.
Prasarana planning and strategy head Sharul Azwa Abd Rani said eight of the zones would complement the Shah Alam LRT line.
The expansion will also see 300 new electric vans starting late 2027.
“A total of 130 vans will be deployed in the Klang Valley while another 170 will be sent to Penang.
“We are still assessing the cost of the vans,” Sharul Azwa said during a media briefing yesterday at Menara Prasarana in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Prasarana is also targeting the addition of 18 new diesel vans in the Klang Valley, which will bring the number of vans serving the area to 255 by end-2028.
Sharul Azwa said the fare would be RM2 per trip starting Feb 1.
“The current promotional fare of RM1 will be in place until Jan 31, marking the final day of the service’s proof-of-concept phase which started in 2023.
“The RM2 fare will also apply to holders of the My50, Rapid Kota, Rapid Kembara and Rapid Keluarga travel passes.
“Holders of the Rapid Pelajar and Rapid Emas passes will continue to enjoy a 50% discount, while Rapid Mesra concession card holders will still receive free rides,” she said.
The service has grown in popularity, with average daily ridership exceeding 20,000 as of last December.
Sharul Azwa said the Rapid On-Demand app would be upgraded by mid-February to include in-app payments and a special booking feature for persons with disabilities.
“We will also hire more drivers to ensure smooth operations, and continue monitoring travel patterns for more strategic positioning of our vans to improve service quality.”
Rapid Bus acting chief executive officer Ku Jamil Zakaria said about 10% of the new vans would be equipped with adjustable chairs to assist those with mobility issues.
“For vans without this feature, the drivers will assist those with mobility issues to get on board,” he said.
Ku Jamil and Sharul Azwa later demonstrated the mechanism of the chair operated via remote control.
Also present were strategic partnership and infrastructure development unit head Khairil Khalid and manager Zarul Hidayat.
