ISKANDAR PUTERI, 12 April 2018:
The Johor Bahru MyBas service implemented by the federal government will complement the existing public bus services in Johor, such as those offered by Bas Muafakat Johor and Iskandar Malaysia Bus Rapid Transit here.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin yesterday said efforts to introduce the MyBas service is in line with the state Public Transport Policy through the Suara Hati Plan which provided public transport to isolated locations with an allocation of RM90 million.
“There will be 249 buses operating statewide, with focus on routes which had not been used by the public bus operators before.
“This will enhance the coverage of the current public bus service by 30%, with a 20-minute trip frequency,” he told reporters after the signing ceremony for the Johor Bahru Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) contract between the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and Handal Indah Sdn Bhd here.
Mohamed Khaled said the project would receive an annual funding of RM90 million from the federal government for a period of eight years to ensure the smooth running of the bus operations.
“This offer benefits the people as it is in line with an announcement made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on the expansion of the North-South Expressway route from Yong Peng to Johor Bahru that will be upgraded from four lanes to six.”
Acting SPAD chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad said the federal government had approved the request for funds to implement MyBas nationwide, covering all main routes and social routes in the country’s capitals.
“MyBas will start operations in the third quarter of 2018 at the earliest, with the first phase involving 68 buses operating at six main routes to Setia Indah Hab, Kempas, Ulu Tiram, Gelang Patah and the Senai International Airport, with an annual cumulative distance of 4.3 million km.”
Meanwhile, in the second phase that will be implemented three months later, it will have an annual cumulative distance of 6.6 million km which will cover seven main routes – namely to Permas Jaya, Selesa Jaya, Taman Universiti, Pulai Indah, Larkin , Taman Tan Sri Yaakob and Pasir Gudang.
In the third phase, it is expected to have eight main routes and six feeder routes with an annual distance of 5.8 million km – covering MyBas service from Johor Bahru to the Kota Masai Terminal, Pasir Gudang Terminal, Bukit Indah, Taman Flora Height, Bakar Batu, Seri Alam and the Johor Premium Outlet.
Mohd Isa said that the use of electric buses would also be introduced in line with Malaysia’s pledge to reduce up 45% of carbon emission by 2030.
A total of 30 electric buses equipped with various safety and modern features including free WiFi services will be used in Johor Bahru, he added.
– Bernama