Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad speaks during a press conference at Kuala Lumpur City Hall in Kuala Lumpur July 9, 2018. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — The government is planning a study and a committee to get to the bottom of low public transport ridership in the Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley.

Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad told Parliament today his ministry is concerned over the low public transportation ridership — currently merely at 20 per cent — while the government has invested billions of ringgit into the infrastructure.

“We need to think through and conduct a study and form a special committee to figure out how we can encourage greater public transport ridership. Maybe we should include more park-and-ride services or increase the feeder transport services,” said Khalid.

The Shah Alam MP was answering queries by DAP’s Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun.

PKR’s Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil then asked regarding the fate of the bicycle tracks that the government has developed to be used by three to five million bicycles in the Klang Valley as it the project has also swallowed up a tremendous amount of taxpayers' money.

“It has been constructed and we will look into how much of it is being used. If it is not fully utilised, we need to look into it. At the moment, the City Hall has constructed 11-km worth of bicycle tracks and it will continue to be a part of the Kuala Lumpur Development Master Plan.

“We hope that the public will use these tracks to get to train stations, or from train stations to their offices,” said Khalid.

Fahmi also posed a question on whether or not the new Pakatan Harapan government will end the concession agreement on vehicle clamping and towing which has been privatised by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Khalid explained that currently the government is looking into the contract, adding that his officers explained to him that the concession is a money making business for DBKL.

“DBKL did not make as much money before it privatised towing and clamping of vehicles. Now that it has been privatised, we are making more money. We need to discuss and debate on this issue in depth,” said Khalid.