KUALA LUMPUR – Prasarana Malaysia Bhd has been directed to no longer place orders for diesel-fueled buses as part of efforts to increase the use of electric buses.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that the final batch of diesel buses is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2025 after the procurement tender is awarded by March this year.
Noting that about 60% of the final 310 diesel buses are set to be minibuses, Loke said that he has instructed Prasarana to only consider contractors with electric vehicle (EV) options in the future.
“I have told Prasarana that this (upcoming) batch of buses will be the final batch of diesel buses. Any tenders after this should focus on EV.
“This is in line with our national policy towards the adoption of EV,” Loke said during a press conference today on Prasarana’s 2023 report and 2024 prospectus.
As part of its Bus Electrification Programme, Prasarana, the nation’s leading transport services provider, is aiming to be fully EV-powered by 2037.
Prasarana is also holding discussions with the Finance Ministry and awaiting the ministry’s approval for the purchase of 100 additional new electric buses this year as well as 1,116 units in 2025 to 2030.
Previously, in tabling Budget 2024, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Prasarana had agreed to procure 150 electric buses and construct three bus depots at a cost of RM600 million to support the LRT3 project.
Meanwhile, commenting on the noticeably low ridership for Prasarana’s subsidiary Rapid Bus over the past years, Loke said that the ministry might consider building more bus lanes in the Klang Valley to address the issue.
In 2019, Rapid Rail recorded an average number of 473,000 passengers, with the global pandemic causing ridership to drop to 178,000 the following year.
While the figure increased to 241,000 last year and is expected to reach 285,000 this year, the number remains a far cry from the statistic seen in pre-pandemic days.
“Since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, there has been an increase of 500,000 to 600,000 new cars (on the road), and there are also a lot of used cars being purchased as people would rather drive than take the bus,” Loke said.
“People are also more inclined to use rail services instead of buses as there are more trains at higher frequencies, and it’s more reliable since there are no concerns about getting stuck in traffic jams.
“We’re aware of these issues, and we’ve introduced bus lanes in the Klang Valley, with two bus lanes currently at Jalan Genting Klang and Jalan Ampang,” the minister added.
Loke said that the ministry will consider implementing more bus lanes if the above two corridors are deemed a success at increasing ridership.
When questioned if road users who abuse the bus lanes will be penalised, Loke implied that such moves might be in the pipeline, saying: “That will come later.”
“My approach has always been (based on) the carrot and the stick. We’ll give you the carrot first, and if that doesn’t entice you, then you’ll get the stick later.” – January 9, 2024
