KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — The operator of the Smart Selangor free bus service has defended the decision to require smartphone apps to use the system, after a transit advocate criticised this as needlessly cumbersome and unreliable.

Responding to the advocate who posted from the @slainthayer account on X, the Smart Selangor Delivery Unit (SSDU) said the solution was essential to ensure the bus service was free only to Malaysians and to provide data needed for future route planning.

OK, what happened?

Earlier this month, the transit advocate conducted an informal audit of bus services in Selangor, spending over 12 hours to go from Selangor’s north-westernmost bus stop in Sabak Bernam to the Pekan Beranang bus stop, where some of the buses are under the Bas Smart Selangor programme.

What did he conclude?

He criticised the required QR code system to ride the buses, saying it was:

What or where is this app?

According to SSDU project delivery division director Badli Shah Muhamad Salleh, the system is available in the:

These allow Malaysians to ride on the 56 bus routes SSDU operates across Selangor jointly with 12 local authorities.

The SITS app currently has more than 110,000 downloads and almost 40,000 registered users, he said.

What does the SITS app do?

Badli said the SITS app gives users information on:

Registered SITS users can also provide feedback or lodge complaints about bus services, which will be directed to the respective local authorities overseeing the particular bus route for further action.

“If registered users lose their belongings on the bus, we can also help them to track and retrieve their items,” Badli said.

Why the QR scan-to-ride?

The system was chosen in response to Malaysians’ complaints that foreigners were benefitting from the service that is free only to locals.

Badli said the system addressed two issues at once:

What else is it for?

“Additionally, data collected via the CEPat app informs the local authorities on the busiest bus routes, which may require them to increase the frequency of buses.

“So, the whole Smart Selangor bus ecosystem is data-driven,” Badli said.

What happens if you don’t have the app or your phone is dead?

Fret not, you may still ride on Smart Selangor buses.

Badli said Malaysians may board just by showing their MyKad, while groups of foreigners only need payment to be made by a single person with one of the apps installed.

He also said drivers have the discretion to let the elderly and very young board the free bus service in the event they did not have the required app or smartphone with them.

“However, we do not encourage bus captains (drivers) to collect fares in cash from the passengers,” Badli said.

Why two apps?

Badli said the SSDU is currently consulting with other stakeholders on merging the SITS and CEPat apps for Smart Selangor bus users.

The unified app is expected to be rolled out next year.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/07/27/nobody-else-uses-qr-ssdu-explains-why-smart-selangor-buses-are-all-scan-to-ride/145008