Commuters rail against looming KTM Komuter fare hike

Young working adults who rely on the train service to get to work will particularly feel the pinch when the train fares go up in December. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, November 1, 2015.

The expected fare hike for the KTM Komuter service has caused uneasiness and rumblings of discontent among public transport users, especially daily commuters.

Nurhidayah Jabar, 26, who works as a financial assistant in the Kuala Lumpur city centre, said higher fares would break her monthly budget of RM100 for transport and put more stress on her already strained finances.

"This, in addition to the toll hike and fuel costs and the increasingly higher cost of living, will force my husband and I, who are raising two children, to make yet more cuts in our expenditure and adjustments in our financial planning" she said.

Young professional Hilal Adnan, who usually takes the KTM Komuter at Batu 3 station in Shah Alam to work, said he and others like him were concerned about the hike as they depended on public transport to go to work.

"Most of the young adults who are just starting work will find the hike challenging. Even if the proposed hike is only four sen per kilometre, that makes a difference to those who are just managing to survive.

"I would appreciate it if the hike was put on hold, considering that we are still feeling the pinch of the goods and services (GST) tax."

National Public Transport Users Association president Ajit Singh said even if the fares were due for an increase, the authorities could not have chosen a worse time to do it.

"Considering the current state of the economy, we would prefer an annual tariff review with smaller increments instead of a fixed increase amount.

"An annual tariff review should be subject to the service provider meeting the KPI set for them by the authorities. Thus the provider is aware that it has to deliver good service if it wants to make more profit and grow.

"I think we all agree that the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) should not have total authority over tariffs, as proven by the yoyo-ing of taxi fare tariffs previously.

"However, we wish to thank the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for taking the initiative to improve public transport services.

"We hope he will consider our suggestion for the formation of a public transport tariff committee composed of stakeholders and which reports to the PM’s office," he said.

It was today reported that a hike in KTM Komuter fares was expected to be announced tomorrow and the new fare structure effective on December 2.

KTMB chairman Datuk Nawawi Ahmad had said the details would be announced by SPAD. KTM Komuter fares were last revised in 2003.

- TMI