KUALA LUMPUR: Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) will implement a fully cashless ticket purchasing system, starting Jan 1, 2025, covering the Klang Valley, northern, southern and east coast sectors.
KTMB said this initiative aims to foster a more efficient and competitive society, aligning with the government's aspirations for digitalisation, which prioritises inclusion, security, and transparency.
The move also supports the national leadership's efforts to accelerate Malaysia's transformation into a competitive digital economy, including the transition to a cashless society.
KTMB Group chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin explained that the company is currently in a transition phase, until the end of the year, to raise awareness among the public, particularly the elderly and disabled, about the shift to cashless payments.
"During this transition period, ticket counters will continue to accept cash transactions. However, once the initiative is implemented, all transactions will be cashless,” he said in a statement on Friday (Nov 1).
Mohd Rani Hisham said KTMB is actively promoting the initiative through various channels, including its official social media accounts, the distribution of promotional materials at stations, and announcements made on trains. Additionally, KTMB is collaborating with local banks to assist individuals who do not possess a debit card, at selected KTMB stations.
Frontline staff at stations will also be available to assist users in registering for the KTMB Mobile (KITS) application or the Komuter Link card, guiding them through the process of purchasing tickets via the application or card. They will also provide support for buying tickets through kiosk machines, he noted.
To further encourage public adoption of cashless transactions, KTMB is offering 500 free rail points for the first 1,000 KITS registrations, and distributing 1,000 Komuter Link cards at no charge.
Statistics show that approximately 82% of passengers currently utilise online payment methods for Electric Train Services (ETS) and Shuttle Tebrau, via KITS, while the adoption of cashless payment systems for KTM Komuter services in the Klang Valley and northern sectors stands at 71%.
To date, KTMB has registered over three million accounts for the purchase of ETS, KTM Intercity, Shuttle Tebrau, and KTM Komuter tickets through the KITS application. - Bernama
