GOVERNMENT ROLE

Government plays an important role in providing Malaysia with efficient and reliable bus
services. One of the governments initiatives is through Stage Bus Services Transformation
programme (SBST). This programme is designed to ensure connectivity of the services and at the
same time provide scheduled trips for Malaysian people get to work, school and central
commercial areas. Under the SBST Programmed, SPAD will establish the myBAS service in key
cities across Malaysia, namely, Kangar, Seremban, Ipoh and Kuala Terengganu.
Governments efforts in providing public transport in the city brings many benefits to our
local people. According to SPAD chief executive Mohd Nur Ismal Kamal, he explained that
MyBas would be similar to Londons red bus service, which was government-regulated and
privately run. SPAD is responsible as the planning authority which would collect revenues, bear
operational costs and pay bus operators to run the service under eight-year contacts.
The new stage bus business model, myBas also offers new routes for areas which were
undeserved and is designed to eliminate duplication of routes in order to ensure optimum
coverage and easy access to the network for about 80% of the population. According to New
Straits Times under the tittle Transforming our stage, it stated that the service standard includes
98% efficiency rate, 95% punctuality rate and reliability as measure by the number of
breakdowns, safety through its accidents record and customer satisfaction from public feedbacks.
However, operators failing to achieve the set standards would be fined by SPAD.
Through SBST Programme, the government is expected to spend about RM100 million
on MyBas on year 2015 and rise to RM500 million, RM800 million, RM1.3 billion and
RM1.9billion from 2016 to 2019. From 2020 onwards, it would spend about RM2.7 billion
annually. By then, 4,000 new stage buses would be added on the road. (Transforming our
stage, 2015). Although it requires a lot money being spent on the programme, MyBas is able to
transform our transportation industry to be better and bigger stage bus industry.
Thus, the Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) project introduced by the SPAD and
funded by the government gained speed is a success to our transportation industry as it offers
better integration, expanded routes and a wider bus network resulting in more reliable bus
service across the city.