Transport Minister Anthony Loke urges the public to utilise BAS.MY under the SBST programme, warning that underuse may jeopardise future government funding.
13 SBST Routes in Kedah Need RM15.7 Million Annually – Anthony Loke
Transport Minister Anthony Loke urged the public to make full use of the BAS.MY stage bus service, which was introduced under the Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) programme.
The SBST programme is currently being rolled out in phases with the Kota Setar BAS.MY service being the latest addition.
Loke said the Malaysian government has allocated “substantial” funding to support the SBST initiative. If the services are used by more people, it will give a justification for the Finance Ministry to continue the allocation.
“I need to show data and performance that this service truly benefits the people. If the public doesn’t use this service despite the affordable fares and convenience offered, we will struggle to justify further funding for its expansion,” Loke said after the launch of the Kota Setar BAS.MY service on Monday, July 28, 2025, as quoted by the Bernama news agency.
To operate 13 SBST routes in Kedah, according to Loke, the federal government has allocated RM78.5 million over five years, or RM15.7 million annually.
The Kota Setar BAS.MY service, which began operations in stages on June 1, has recorded approximately 30,000 users monthly, with numbers expected to reach 40,000 by the end of this month.
“We hope more people will use it. The cost to the government is fixed at RM15.7 million a year for Kedah, regardless of how many passengers use the service. The more passengers we have, the lower the average cost per passenger, making the government’s investment more worthwhile,” the minister said.
