No More Free Rides On Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT Line

       No More Free Rides On Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT Line - The one-month free rides on the recently opened Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) MRT line is now over and commuters will have to pay full fares from today onwards.

Passengers will now have to pay fares ranging from RM1.20 to RM3.90 depending on the distance travelled under the cash fare structure and between RM1.20 and RM3.40 via cashless payment.

Fares for the feeder buses have been implemented as well at RM1 per trip.

Half-price discounts apply for senior citizens, students and those with disabilities who travel on the MRT and its feeder bus service.

Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Zohari Sulaiman said that the public’s response has been overwhelming.

“Even without the direct connection and integration with the LRT and KTM Komuter, we had recorded more than one million passengers,” he said.

He hoped these passengers would continue to take the MRT and become its ambassadors by sharing their commuting experiences with others.

Hopefully, the one-month promotional period provided the required impact to turn the users to regular commuters, he added.

A check by The Star yesterday found many commuters who were more than happy to pay for the convenience afforded by the MRT.

Accountant Sanjeev Kumar, 36, said he was not deterred by the fares as he mainly took the MRT to avoid traffic jams.

“That way I don’t have to worry about getting to work late because the bus usually gets caught up in heavy traffic,” he said.

Sanjeev said that his commute to work with the MRT takes half the time it used to when he took the bus.

Nadiah, a human resources administrator, said that she had only recently started taking the MRT to work, but would continue to do so even with the fares.

“It’s still slightly less than the amount I would pay for parking at my office,” said the 23-year-old.

She said she used to drive from her house in Rawang to her office in Damansara, which would cost her about RM30 in fuel a day.

South Korean Inkyu Song was also not concerned with the charges being implemented and would continue using the MRT for his daily commute to work.

The 29-year-old, who works in the advertising field, said he avoids getting stuck in traffic by taking the MRT.

However, while the free ride period is over, passengers can still look forward to future discounts and promotions.

“Naturally, there will be more promotions as we move on. We will advise the commuters accordingly,” said Zohari.