KAJANG, April 13 — Commuters departing from the new Kajang 2 Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) Komuter railway station will ride for free from tomorrow until Sunday, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced today.

The promotion will apply to all one-way trips from the new Kajang station to any connected KTM Komuter station, Loke said, including the one in his federal constituency of Seremban.

“So, during the weekend before Raya you can use the KTM to go shopping,” he said in apparent jest at the press conference during the inauguration of the station.

The offer was meant to integrate the new Seremban Line station with the existing public transport system, he said.

The station was funded through private sector in collaboration with the Railway Assets Corp (RAC) that, in return, was granted the rights to develop the location, he said.

“But it will also bring financial returns to the RAC because any project, in terms of the value of its development, will be returned to the RAC,” he said.

Besides that, the minister said operators of bus routes in the vicinity will be asked to incorporate the station and help improve first and last-mile connectivity beyond what was already provided by the Selangor government’s Smart Selangor bus service.

Loke said there was a large pool of potential rail commuters within a five-kilometre radius of the station, which he hoped could be encouraged to use the rail service by making it easier to reach with bus.

Also in attendance at the event were Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan and Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi.

Ras Adiba performed the Negaraku in sign language at the start of the event.

The station will also offer free parking facilities until April 21. - malaymail