KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 — Transit Malaysia has called on the Ministry of Transport, through the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad), to create national standards for when and how a bus route will be created or terminated.

Transit Malaysia, which advocates for better public transport in Malaysia, in a statement today said this will ensure all bus routes and bus riders start from the same equal foundation.

"We also ask the Minister of Finance to direct the Ministry of Finance and Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) to present a new model for public transport that puts service quality and standards above cost-cutting.

"Public transport users deserve better. We cannot improve public transport without improving policy and governance; we also cannot improve public transport if the financial and structural models favour cost-cutting over service quality; a mediocre compromise,” it said.

At the same time, Transit Malaysia called upon Rapid KL to reverse or reconsider the termination of its bus routes until these standards are created.

"Any bus route should be evaluated thoroughly and properly and public opinion should have been sought for before making drastic changes such as termination of a bus route.

"An example, we can give is the 754 between Shah Alam and Puncak Perdana, the only bus route serving Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Puncak Perdana. How will students feel when they return to campus physically to find there is no longer any bus service, their alternative being a RM20 grab fare, more than five times the bus fare?” it said. — Bernama