Bus service upgrade for Iskandar Malaysia region

All fired up: Ahmad Azizi (third from right) and other bus drivers taking part in PAIM

JOHOR BARU: Johoreans can expect a cashless system and WiFi service on board public buses in the Iskandar Malaysia region here under a rebranding exercise set to take place by April.

To be known as Trans Iskandar, Perbadanan Pengangkutan Awam Iskandar Malaysia (PAIM) marketing and branding vice-president Ahmad Azizi Ramdan said the fare and schedule of some 1,300 public buses in the region would be synchronised to offer better services to those who depended on public transport.

Upgrading works such as installing wireless Internet and cashless systems in buses were also in the pipeline, he said.

“We want to provide quality services for passengers so that the public will be more keen to use a bus and make it their preferred mode of transport to work or school.

“The seven bus companies will continue to operate these services but PAIM will closely monitor these to ensure that standards are being met and maintained,” he said during a PAIM training course for bus drivers at Larkin Central here yesterday.

“It is important to educate these drivers on basic work ethics so that they will be friendlier towards passengers.

“PAIM receives an average of two complaints daily on bad bus services, most of which involve inconsistent timing and drivers’ unfriendly attitude,” he said.

The course, said Ahmad Azizi, aimed to prepare bus drivers for the rebranding which would be taking place in just a few months.

“The state government has set aside some RM160,000 for the programme involving 200 bus drivers this year,” he said, adding that PAIM planned to train about 3,000 drivers.

An effort to create a more efficient bus system, said Ahmad Azizi, was in line with Iskandar Regional Development Autho­rity’s target to become a metropolis by 2025.