More payment choices coming soon for public transport services, says Loke

An open payment system for transport services, especially those under Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, will be implemented soon, Transport Minister Anthony Loke says.
 
He said this would essentially allow commuters to use their credit or debit cards, in addition to Touch 'n Go cards, to pay for public transport services. 

"This will give users other choices besides Touch 'n Go," he said in response to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s statement on March 19 that the government would review Touch 'n Go’s monopoly on toll road payments on grounds that its system lacked significant progress and development. 

Speaking to reporters at KLIA yesterday, Loke said Anwar’s statement did not mean that Touch 'n Go’s services would be ended. 

"We do not intend to end Touch 'n Go’s services, so please don’t say that we are trying to kill off Touch 'n Go. 

"It’s just that Touch 'n Go will be one of several payment options rather than just the only one now," he said, adding that users had been lamenting that they were short of choices when paying for public transport services and highway tolls. 
 
Loke said the prime minister had instructed that the matter be discussed in the Cabinet and that an urgent solution was needed to make room for other payment systems.

He said Prasarana had been instructed to implement an open payment method and needed time to integrate the system.

Public transport services that use Touch 'n Go as a mode of payment include Prasarana's bus services, LRT, MRT and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB).