Sabah public bus ridership jumps 208pct in two months

KOTA KINABALU: Ridership on Kota Kinabalu's public bus service has surged by 208 per cent in two months, said Sabah Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) chairman Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe.

The number of passengers increased from about 194,000 in August to 598,054 in October.

"These figures are very encouraging and prove that the people of Sabah genuinely need a better public transport system. When services are provided well, people will use them.

"Our goal is very clear, to make public transport an easy, safe, comfortable and accessible option for all segments of society.

"We want more people to be able to travel to hospitals, schools, workplaces and community centres without having to rely too heavily on private vehicles," he said in a statement.

The BAS.MY service, also known as the "Pink Bus", was officially launched a few months ago and covers stops at Queen Elizabeth Hospital I and II, as well as Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

He said the board also aimed to add stops in strategic areas such as Luyang Health Clinic, Likas Hospital, Tanjung Aru and Kepayan Ridge, based on public demand.

However, implementation would require amendments to the procurement contract and approval from the Transport Ministry and Finance Ministry.

Meanwhile, a total of 1,106 school bus, hire-car and taxi drivers throughout Sabah have been approved to receive a one-off RM1,000 assistance payment.

The Pink Bus service operates daily from 5.30am, with buses running at intervals of approximately 15 to 30 minutes.

Passengers can check bus schedules and track bus locations in real time through the LUGO mobile application.