KUALA LUMPUR: Persons with disabilities (OKU) and school students can now enjoy free rail rides with the launch of KTM Bhd’s MyRailLife pass.
The travel pass, which offers unlimited free rides on KTMB Komuter trains for all OKU registered with the Social Welfare Department as well as school students from Standard 1 to Form 6 (ages seven to 19), is an initiative by KTMB and the Transport Ministry.
MyRailLife, which has been in operation since Wednesday, provides significant savings for the disabled community and parents who pay for transportation costs for their school-aged children, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
A disabled person living in Alor Setar and working in Butterworth would now save RM180 per month by using the MyRailLife pass.
“If he uses the train service for round trips between the Alor Setar station and Butterworth, he has to spend a travel fare of RM7.20 per day (or RM180 for 25 days).
“With the MyRailLife Pass, his savings on transportation costs with this unlimited use pass is as much as RM180 per month,” he said during the launch of MyRailLife at KL Sentral here yesterday.
MyRailLife is an extension of the initiative first announced by Loke on Jan 20, where he said pupils in school uniforms and the OKU will be able to enjoy free services on selected KTMB services such as Komuter and Shuttle Timuran from Feb 15.
Loke said eligible users can register online via the KITS KTMB mobile app, the KTMB website, or at KTMB counters.
MyRailLife can be used for KTM Komuter services in the Klang Valley and the northern sector, along with the Shuttle Timuran on the east coast sector from Gemas to Tumpat.
The Klang Valley Komuter services run from Pulau Sebang (Melaka) and Batu Caves, as well as between Port Klang and Tanjung Malim.
Meanwhile, in the northern sector, Komuter serves places between Padang Rengas and Butterworth, as well as between Butterworth and Padang Besar.
For the east coast sector, the pass can be used between Gemas and Tumpat.
Loke also stated that the RM4mil MyRailLine initiative is funded by savings from the suspension of the Subang Skypark KTM Komuter service between KL Sentral and Subang Skypark.
Due to extremely low ridership, the services have been suspended since Wednesday.
Following the suspension, four trainsets were then redeployed to KTM Komuter services all over the country, which will lead to better train frequencies starting this Saturday.