Govt backs wider cashless payment options for public transport
KUALA LUMPUR: The implementation of an open payment system for public transport in the Klang Valley has been delayed after the first tender was not awarded, requiring the procurement process to be retendered, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.
He said the procurement process was now at its final stage, with a decision expected to be finalised by the end of this year.
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“The delay was because the first tender was not awarded.
“So, there was a process to retender, and that took time,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Loke said the procurement process was handled internally by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd and did not involve the Transport Ministry.
He said the process had to go through Prasarana’s procurement committee before receiving approval from its board of directors.
“There may be internal issues, but the Transport Ministry is not involved and does not interfere in the tender process in Prasarana,” he said.
Loke said the project would be implemented in phases once the contract was awarded. Within the first 12 months of the project, 30% of passenger access and fare collection equipment at each Rapid KL rail station is expected to support open payments.
Full implementation across the Rapid KL rail network is targeted within 30 months, while the open payment system for Rapid Bus is expected to be fully implemented within 15 months of the project’s commencement.
“The system is aimed at allowing passengers to pay for public transport using a wider range of methods, including debit and credit cards, international EMV-based cards such as Visa and Mastercard, contactless NFC devices, digital wallets and QR payments,” he said.
Loke said the system would also support Touch ‘n Go cards and other approved payment methods in the future.
Meanwhile, he said Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) had already introduced an open payment system in the Klang Valley on Nov 1, 2024, through its KTM Integrated Ticketing System (KITS).
“KTMB users can currently make payments using debit and credit cards, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, QR codes, Boost, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay and KTM Wallet,” he said.
Loke said the government supported the full implementation of open payment systems across public transport services to make payments more flexible, convenient and efficient, while accelerating digitalisation in the sector.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Ir Ts Zahir Hassan (PH-Wangsa Maju), who asked about the delay in the procurement process after the system had previously been targeted for implementation on bus services by the end of 2024 and rail services by August 2025.