Transport Ministry yet to receive applications for bike-hailing

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 -- The Transport Ministry has yet to receive any application from intermediary businesses interested in providing bike-hailing services in the country, said its minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook today.

He said the ministry through the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) is open and would accept any application, whether it is from local or foreign companies.

 “So far, there are no applications, but I am confident that several companies will be interested. It does not matter whether they are local or international companies, as long as they are registered under the Companies Commission of Malaysia,  they can (apply to) operate,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after the agreement-signing ceremony to develop a piece of land  at Lot 151, Section 54, here, between the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC) and LTS Skyline Sdn Bhd here today.

 Last Tuesday, Loke announced that the government has agreed to allow intermediary businesses interested in providing bike-hailing services to carry out pilot runs or ‘Proof of Concepts’ (POCs) in Kuala Lumpur for a period of six months beginning January 2020.

Loke explained that the government’s main purpose in introducing the bike-hailing service was to increase the coverage of public transport services in the country.

Meanwhile, he said the unlimited RM100 monthly travel pass that was introduced early this year would be continued next year as a continuous effort to encourage people to use public transportation.

He said since the incentive was launched, there had been a significant increase in the number of rail service users, especially Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) reaching 210,000 users a day compared to 150,000 without the pass.

-- BERNAMA