The Ministry of Transport (MOT) has acknowledged facing budget and resource constraints in expanding facilities aimed at encouraging greater public transport usage.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke stressed that strengthening the public transport ecosystem requires cross-ministerial and agency collaboration, as well as participation from the private sector.
“Indeed, to ensure widespread use of public transport, the ecosystem must be comprehensive. It’s not just about bus services, such as providing more bus stops; pedestrian pathways and other infrastructure are also necessary,” he said. “However, this requires cooperation from all parties. MOT will try to assist, but we face limitations in terms of budget and resources.”
Speaking during a Question and Answer session in the Dewan Rakyat, Loke, who is also the Seremban MP, highlighted the importance of working with local authorities, such as city councils, which can provide sites and funding for bus stops—an initiative that would significantly enhance the public transport ecosystem.
In response to additional questions from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) on how MOT ensures the availability of more bus stops to improve public access, Loke also emphasized the role of public-private partnerships. Under this model, private entities can benefit from a “win-win” arrangement, such as being allowed to display advertisements at the newly developed bus stops.
Loke also provided an update on the BAS.MY hop-on-hop-off bus service under the Bus Stop Transformation Program (SBST). As of August, a total of 49,611 users had utilized the free bus service for seniors aged 60 and above, school students, university students, and persons with disabilities (OKU).
Breaking down the statistics, Loke noted that 78% of concession card users were seniors, 13% were school students, 6% were persons with disabilities, and 3% were university students. The highest usage of BAS.MY concession cards was recorded in Johor Bahru, Kuching, Ipoh, Seremban, and Melaka.
As of October 2025, BAS.MY services operate in Kangar, Kota Setar, Ipoh, Seremban, Melaka, Johor Bahru, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu, and Kuching, with phased rollouts underway in Kota Kinabalu.
