SPAD Announced New Adjusted Fare

Yesterday on the 19^th of March, The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) had announced adjusted fare for the taxi services commenced with immediate effect, while the fare for the express buses shall come into effect on the 15^th of May 2015.

The new fare as announced is applicable for taxis and express bus services only in Peninsular Malaysia. Senior citizens, the disabled and children below 12 years of age shall continue to enjoy a 25% discount on express bus fares.

Considering the burdening operating costs of various components since the rates last adjusted 6 (Six) years ago, it is only natural to review the fares that were long overdue with the public interest duly considered.

The SPAD Chairman, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Syed Hamid Albar in a press conference cited, the new rates complements the rise in costs, including maintenance, insurance and the cost of living.

“The revision which aims to align the fares to actual operating costs, also strikes a fair balance between the welfare of passengers and the drivers as well as the operators.”

“The current fares are not sufficient: it is not enough to cover operating costs, cost of living, current and new investments for service improvements. Express and taxi drivers also need to earn a living to cope with the rising cost. At the same time, we also want to ensure that the rakyat is not unduly burdened with an unjust fare increment”.

In approving the fare adjustment, the Commission has also tasked KTMB and Prasarana to look into enhanced concessions for daily commuters who opt for cashless cards and for weekly and monthly concession passes, while maintaining the 50% discount for senior citizens, the disabled and students, he further added.

The total operating costs borne by the taxi and bus had escalated to approximately 33% and 36% respectively, with the use of NGV increased by 11.3%. The cumulative inflation, depreciation and wages too, warrant considerations. The NGV pump price will be further revised from RM0.68/le to RM1.05/le, effective six months after the taxi fare revision.

Comfort and easier access for express bus passengers has further improved since 2009 with the opening of the integrated Transport terminal Bandar Tasik Selatan. Pudu Sentral has been refurbished and a new Terminal AmanJaya, Ipoh constructed to meet the commuters convenience.

The Commission after long and due considerations has approved requests by KTM Berhad (operator of KTM Komuter, Electric Train Service (ETS) and KTM Intercity), and Prasarana (LRT and Monorail), to carry out a fare review exercise, details of which will be announced at a date to be advised by the respective operators.

It will be the first ever approved fare review since commencement for LRT Ampang Line (19 years), LRT Kelana Jaya Line (17 years) and Monorail (12 years). KTM Komuter’s last fare adjustment was 12 years ago, while KTM Intercity’s basic fares have not changed for over 25 years.

SPAD Chief Executive Officer, Mohd Nur Ismal Kamal reiterates that SPAD will continue to stepped up enforcement and service improvements to benefit the commuters. The SPAD ICOP Safety guidelines are compulsory measures exercised by all the bus operators since Agust 2013 and it is mandatory to monitor their driver's performance.

"Enforcement crackdown exercises will be carried to task on errant taxi drivers. In addition, to empower passengers to take control over the selection of their taxi drivers, and rate their attitude and behaviour, SPAD has developed an apps called MeterOn for Android and iOS platforms,” said Mohd Nur.

The taxi drivers have been informed to get their meters calibrated immediately through meter manufacturers and suppliers. They may also contact designated SPAD offices for calibration purposes..

Taxi services

1. New fares are only applicable for budget taxis, TEKS1M, and hired cars in Klang Valley, Johor Bahru and Penang.

2. NO fare revision for airport and executive taxis.

3. ONLY taxis drivers who have calibrated their taxi meters at PUSPAKOM are allowed to implement the new fares. Until then, drivers must charge the old fees.

4. In Klang Valley and Johor Bahru:

• For a 5km taxi trip, travellers can expect to pay between RM1.50 and RM3.50 more (see table, excluding surcharges).
• For a 10km trip, the journey is expected to cost between RM3.50 and RM6.70 more (see table, excluding surcharges).

5. The fare revision is slighted in Penang due to higher operating costs, compared to Klang Valley and Johor Bahru.

• For a 5km taxi trip, travellers can expect to pay between RM2.50 and RM3.50 more.
• For a 10km trip, the journey is expected to cost RM5.70 to RM8.00 more.

6.   Fare revision advantages

• Encourages short distance trips by offering the driver a minimum return per journey.
• Covers the total vehicle operating costs and cost of labour for the provision of the journey.
• Encourages passenger pickups during peak hours, where drivers are compensated for opportunity cost of travelling in congested traffic.
• Minimise errant taxi drivers and increase service level for passengers.

7.   Ensuring the Meter is on

• The MeterOn application, to be launched on March the 25th, aims to empower passengers to take control over the selection of their taxi drivers, and rate their attitude and behaviour.
• Equipped with five features; driver verification, journey tracker, driver rating, SOS alert and quick report, the apps enables commuters to rate the drivers, lodge a report immediately with SPAD, and keeps a record of the passenger’s taxi rides.
• MeterOn covers over 60,000 licensed taxis throughout Peninsular Malaysia.
• Available in English & BM, the apps is available for download on Android stores, and will soon be available on IOS.

Express Bus Services

1. The fare calculation is based on operating cost per km and bus capacity.

2. The operating cost is RM2.29/km. This is based on the annual operating cost percentage as below:

3.    Passengers will pay 2.1 sen more per km.

4.   Advantages of fare revision

• Enables the bus operators to enhance services and comply with the requirements set by the Commission.

According to SPAD, the bus fare hike will assure better management including maintenance, drive efficiency, monitoring vehicle speed and cleanliness and more importantly safety and convenience to the commuters.