The Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) has doubled down on its claim that Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) is imposing “hidden” charges on rail commuters.
The consumer body’s president N Marimuthu said KTMB’s response to complaints by senior citizens and the disabled reinforced its contention that an overall fare increase had been put in place without any public announcement.
“KTMB says the RM5 fee is included in all its ticket purchases under its Flexi Fare pricing system, which adjusts ticket prices based on various factors for all modes of purchases. This is in fact a hidden price.
“The disabled man, who was charged RM5 for each of his three ticket purchases over-the-counter, paid the amount on top of the overall fare,” he told FMT.
Marimuthu said KTMB should read the comments by netizens on the issue as they were castigating the government-owned entity for being so uncaring towards the disabled and senior citizens.
On Thursday, KTMB clarified that the extra RM5 fee applied across all ticketing methods and covered over-the-counter, online and ticket vending machines sales.
KTMB said the charge was part of a yearly review of its Flexi Fare pricing system, which adjusts ticket prices based on various factors.
“KTMB implemented Flexi Fare in 2020 to offer affordable and fair prices, with more choices, including the opportunity to enjoy better fares when booking early or during off-peak periods,” it said in a statement.
The national rail carrier was responding to an earlier FMT report that included concerns raised by Fomca on the additional fee.
In the report, Marimuthu said KTMB owed taxpayers an explanation as to how its annual review works and why an additional charge had been levied without any announcement.
“KTMB must remember it is owned by the people and operates for the people,” he said. - FMT
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