Why is this topic relevant to me?
Living in a big city like Kuala Lumpur, even if it’s just for a few days, you can simply experience how bad the traffic congestion can be. To beat the jam, a well-connected public transportation network is essential. While living in Kuala Lumpur, you might often complain about the public transportation system, but have you ever taken the time to really explore how many MRT or LRT stations are located near your home?
Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, has a high population and a large number of cars on the road.
To address the traffic problem, the government has invested heavily in building the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT), KL Monorail, and the Malayan Railway Limited (KTMB) systems. They’ve even introduced the My50 Unlimited Travel Pass (RM50 monthly) to encourage more people to use public transportation.
But despite these efforts, why are we still facing traffic jams? Why do people prefer using their own vehicles rather than public transportation? Have the government’s initiatives been effective? Let’s find the insights from data.
In the Klang Valley, only 1 in every 5 people use public transportation.
In Malaysia, it’s difficult to get around without a car. One of the main reasons for this is the limited public transportation network, which forces many people to rely on driving.
To bring about significant change, a well-developed public transportation network is crucial.
Aside from public bus services, the government began building various forms of rail networks since 1990s to tackle the traffic congestion problem. This includes the KTMB (1995), LRT (1996), KL Monorail (2003), and MRT (2017 and 2023).
According to government estimates, public transportation currently covers only 55% of the Klang Valley area, leaving 45% without access to public transportation.
Since the introduction of locally-produced cars in the 1980s and 1990s, car ownership has increased significantly. The public transportation usage rate, which was 47% in 1970, has dropped to just 16% by 2010. However, the trend began to shift upwards after the MRT Kajang Line (MRT 1) started operating in July 2017.
As of 2020, the public transportation usage rate in the Klang Valley reached only 20%, meaning that for every 5 people, only 1 uses public transportation. The government aims to increase this to 70% by 2040.
More than 90% of bus service lines in the Klang Valley have a waiting time of over 15 minutes.
According to government data, there are a total of 323 bus service routes in the Klang Valley, but for every 1,000 people, only 0.21 bus services are available.
Of these services, 9% have a waiting time of 1 to 15 minutes, while 63% have a wait time of 16 to 30 minutes. The remaining 28% of services have a wait time of more than 30 minutes.
In other words, 90% of bus services in the Klang Valley have a waiting time of more than 15 minutes.
The government spent RM51.5 billion to build two MRT lines, but total ridership have not reached half of the expected target.
Using the MRT lines as an example, the MRT Kajang Line began service in 2017 at a cost of RM21 billion, while the MRT Putrajaya Line started service in 2023 with a total cost of RM30.5 billion. However, the daily passenger numbers have failed to meet expectations, and the National Audit Department has raised concerns about this shortfall.
According to 2024 Auditor General’s Report (Series 2), the MRT Kajang Line saw an average of only 140,000 to 175,000 passengers daily between 2018 and 2019, well below the expected 400,000 passengers. During the COVID-19 period, in 2020 and 2021, ridership dropped further to just 90,000 and 53,500 daily passengers respectively.
The service frequency also fell short of targets. From 2017 to 2019, the goal was to have a train every 3 minutes and 20 seconds, and from 2020 to 2023, the target was 3 minutes per train. However, only in 2017 did the service nearly meet the target, with an average of 3 minutes and 12 seconds per train. Between 2018 and 2022, the average interval between trains was 4 minutes.
The MRT Putrajaya Line also failed to meet expectations in both passenger volume and service frequency. During peak hours in 2022 and 2023, the target was to have a train every 4 minutes. While the target was met in 2022, in 2023 the train interval increased to 5 minutes.
The Auditor General’s Report highlighted that both the MRT Kajang and Putrajaya lines did not meet the expected passenger volumes or service frequency targets, which has impacted the overall quality of public transportation services. The operating companies, MRT Corp and Prasarana, are recommended to ensure that services are provided according to schedule and improve service frequency in order to boost ridership and service quality.
67% MRT station have less than 3% passenger drop-off rate.
To improve public transportation usage, the location of stations is key. Stations in areas with high population density and major employment hubs tend to attract more passengers.
Taking the MRT Kajang Line as an example, data from May 2024 shows that the busiest stations, marked as “hot spot” stations, are concentrated in Kuala Lumpur, particularly in the city centre which also experiences heavy traffic during peak hours.
Bukit Bintang station, located near popular shopping areas in Kuala Lumpur, has an average passenger drop-off rate of 16%. Stations close to major transportation hubs, such as Muzium Negara and Tun Razak Exchange, have a drop-off rate of around 8% each.
For stations directly linked to shopping malls, such as Bandar Utama, Cochrane, and Maluri, the passenger drop-off rate ranges from 5% to 6%. The data indicates that most passengers use public transportation for work or shopping to avoid the heavy traffic. Of the 31 stations on the MRT Kajang Line, 21 stations (67%) have a passenger drop-off rate of less than 3%.
Why is the MRT service not more popular?
According to a study by the Centre for Governance and Political Studies (Cent-GPS), the MRT Kajang Line was originally designed to serve low-income groups by providing easier access to Kuala Lumpur. However, out of the 31 stations, only 8 are located near housing areas for middle-income groups. The remaining 23 stations are situated in areas where housing prices are unaffordable for most middle-income families.
For example, the area around the Pusat Bandar Damansara station is one of the most expensive in Kuala Lumpur, with the median property price reaching RM4 million. Only 1% of the wealthiest individuals can afford to live there, and as a result, most residents in the area prefer to use cars rather than rely on public transportation.
Another issue is the car-centric urban planning in the Klang Valley area, which makes the first mile and last mile connectivity for MRT services becomes very challenging. Even if some stations are located nearby, poor connectivity often discourages people from using public transportation.
According to a study, many MRT stations are far from key locations like government offices and hospitals. For example, the Sungai Buloh station is located 2.3 km away from the nearest government hospital, making it less convenient for commuters. This lack of strategic station location further limits the MRT’s effectiveness as a transportation option.
Although shuttle bus services are provided for those living near MRT stations, issues with punctuality and limited service frequency often lead passengers to choose driving and park their cars near the station, or use ride-hailing services like Grab to the station, which would offset the affordability of taking public transportation.
How is the government encouraging more people to use public transportation?
In 2019, the government introduced two types of unlimited travel passes for public transportation: My100 (RM100 per month) and My50 (RM50 per month). The My100 pass allows for unlimited use of the LRT, KL Monorail, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), RapidKL buses, and MRT shuttle buses over a 30 day period. The My50 pass, however, is limited to the use of RapidKL bus services only.
Starting in 2022, the government continued to offer only the My50 pass, but now includes access to all the services mentioned above.
The government has allocated a total of RM600 million for this initiative since 2022, with more than 12 million passes have been sold.
Based on the figures announced by Ministry of Transport, the number of monthly subscribers for My50 has reached 220,000, double the number from 2019, when the package had only 98,000 subscribers. This indicates that the government’s efforts have yielded positive results.
Due to the growing popularity of the My50 package, the government has increased its allocation. In 2024, the allocation was RM115 million, which will increase to RM216 million in 2025.
To further encourage public transportation usage, the government has also added the number of trains and reduced waiting times during peak hours.
According to Transport Ministry, the average waiting time during peak hours was reduced from 4 minutes in 2022 to 3 minutes this year, with a target of achieving a waiting time of 2 minutes and 8 seconds by 2025.
Starting in 2022, RapidKL introduced a Demand-Responsive Transit (DRT) service near train stations, similar to ride-hailing services like Grab. The service charges only RM1 per ride, and operates from 6:00 AM to 11:30 PM.
Through the “Kumpool” mobile application, users can book the service they need, helping to address the first and last mile connectivity problem.
According to data released by Prasarana in May 2024, the Demand-Responsive Transit (DRT) service has seen a 15% increase in ridership compared to 2022. In the future, they plan to expand the service coverage area.
How many stations are located within 1 km of your housing area?
As mentioned earlier, train stations should be located near high-density areas and major employment hubs.
While we can’t choose where stations are built, we can choose to live near a station.
If you’re staying in a condominium or apartment in Kuala Lumpur, or considering moving to a different area in KL, do you know which stations are nearby?
Alternatively, if you’re coming from another state and planning to rent a house or room in Kuala Lumpur, it’s important to consider which stations are close by.
Data Collection and Analysis: Justin Lee
Interactive Map: Lim Jun Leong
Data Visualisation: Tan Huey Shyh, Dexter Chan
Research and Written By: Dexter Chan
Follow Newsgraphy’s Facebook and Instagram accounts for stories beyond numbers that matter!
If you find Newsgraphy’s content interesting, feel free to Buy Me a Coffee to provide a small donation and help Newsgraphy to go farther and better!
