Pay 50% Less For Your Early Morning LRT Rides From 16 September Onwards
Thank god for discounts!
By Nandini Balakrishnan — 25 Aug 2016, 06:45 PM
Good news for LRT and Monorail commuters! Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced yesterday, 24 August, that there'll be a 50% discount starting 16 September for all train fares from 6 to 7am, daily.
"In recognising the support of the commuting public to the public transport system and services, I am pleased to announce that commuters travelling on the Rapid KL LRT and Monorail networks will be given a 50% discount between 6am to 7am," said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday, 24 August.
Najib explained that the discounts are aimed to get more people to leave their homes earlier and also reduce congestion during peak hours
The Malay Mail Online also reported that this offer will benefit about 500,000 commuters who use the trains daily.
LRT and KL Monorail serves as one of the main mode of public transportation in Malaysia.
More than 400,000 people take the LRT daily, while about 68,000 commute using the Monorail.
In their efforts to increase connectivity, the government recently added 25 new LRT stations throughout Klang Valley. With LRT stations connecting major parts of Puchong, Damansara, and Subang Jaya, the extension routes were selected based on highly populated areas in town.
The extension came with a new system that required LRT commuters coming from the Ampang line to interchange at the Chan Sow Lin station, if they need to head towards Sentul Timur or Putra Heights.
However, the new system led to a sudden hike in the number commuters, especially during peak hours, leading to overcrowded train stations. People have since been urging Rapid KL to increase the number of 4-coach trains to ensure ease of movement for the commuters.
Responding to the inconvenience, Rapid KL explained that the situation is brought on by the opening of the 12 new stations, which adds up to the number of commuters heading towards the city center.
In Singapore, on the other hand, commuters who use the train service at designated MRT stations from 5.30am till 7.45am enjoy free rides.
This scheme that was first introduced in June 2013 was due to end this year, but has been extended for another year till June 2017.
Under the programme, commuters who end their journey before 7.45am on weekdays at 18 designated MRT stations in the city area get to ride for free. The stations include Raffles Place, Orchard, Tanjong Pagar, Chinatown and Bugis.
Those who exit these stations between 7.45am and 8am get a discount of up to SGD0.50 off their train fare.
About 65,000 commuters use the Free Pre-Peak Travel scheme daily, Mrs Teo said, speaking at the Travel Smart Day 2016 at Asia Square on Thursday morning. According to LTA, there has been a sustained reduction of 7% in the number of commuters during the morning peak period since the scheme was launched.
The Free Pre-Peak Travel scheme is part of the overall Travel Smart Network, where the Government provides funding to organisations for initiatives that help their employees travel during off-peak hours as well as to use alternative forms of transport, like walking and cycling, to get to work.