The shorter the distance, the cost of ticket per kilometer is likely to be higher. As can be seen in the northern EDTP, it can go up to more than 0.40 MYR per kilometer.

This has obvious negative implications. Private vehicles are not going away. Public transport needs to discourage the use of private vehicles. However, with the direct cost of private vehicle at 0.15 to 0.20 MYR per kilometer, public transport cannot produce a desirable impact. At 0.40 MYR per kilometer, it is worse.

If private transport cannot be made much more expensive, there is a need to channel funds to greatly reduce the price of public transport. I would say 0.10 MYR per kilometer is attractive.

It is not right to cite the lack of trains as the excuse for not providing cheaper public transport options. There is no immediate plan to get those trains. So, the only option is to reduce the ticket prices of the current trains.

Imagine Uber and Grab Car that cost more than taxis, because they are available through the Internet, and are "safer". How can that sort of pricing strategy change anything?

The benefits of Uber and Grab Car are apparent, possibly only through the dying taxi industry. I would say the same applies to trains. If the highway operators and stalls at highway rest areas are not seeing a significant reduction in revenue, the benefits of the trains are not clear enough.

This post has been edited by hwt: Nov 29 2017, 12:37 AM