Asia Mobiliti appointed to run DRT services under Selangor Mobility

By Digital News Asia October 26, 2023

Demand-Responsive Transit incorporated into state’s public transport network
State may up Selangor Mobility’s funding (US$5.2m in 2023) in its 2024 budget

Ramachandran Muniandy, founder and CEO of Asia Mobiliti (2nd from right) with Amirudin Shari (4th from right), chief minister of Selangor at the announcement of Asia Mobiliti awarded the job to run the state's Demand-Responsive Transit service.

Malaysian based mobility-as-a-service company, Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd has been appointed by the Selangor state government to provide Demand-Responsive Transit (DRT) services in four localities in the state under the Selangor Mobility programme.

The first phase of the service will be in the Puchong and Ampang suburbs beginning 20 Nov followed by Phase Two in Jan 2024 for Hulu Kelang and Serdang.

“We are privileged to be selected to provide DRT services under the Selangor Mobility programme,” said Ramachandran Muniandy, CEO and co-founder of Asia Mobiliti. “Our goal has always been to provide a digital, reliable, cost-effective and convenient service that meets commuters’ first mile/last mile needs, which has been a perennial challenge in Malaysia.

Amirudin Shari, Selangor Chief Minister, made the announcement during the launch of the zones and logo for Selangor Mobility at the Selangor Smart City & Digital Economy Convention (SDEC) 2023 last week.

“Preliminary project trials in Kinrara, Gombak, and Ampang have received promising feedback,” said Amirudin. “With this momentum, we are inclined to increase Selangor Mobility’s funding in the upcoming (2024) budget,” he said.

With this appointment, Asia Mobiliti is positioning itself as a leading mobility-as-a-service provider in Malaysia, powering the first Demand-Responsive Transit service for a government in Malaysia. The appointment came after it successfully piloted three zones in Bandar Puteri Puchong, University Malaya-Bangsar South and Selayang Baru earlier this year.

“This appointment demonstrates that we have the right expertise, technology and commercial model to offer mass public transit services via DRT,” said Ramachandran. “The Selangor state government's adoption of DRT as a first mile/last mile solution is a step in the right direction, and we hope to eventually cover the entire state with multiple strategic zones,” he added.

DRT is a new form of public transit service powered by software, providing a digital experience for passengers and drivers. The system responds to multiple bookings within a predefined zone or route and optimises the dispatching of vehicles through the use of intelligent algorithms that factors in waiting time, travel time and traffic conditions. The advanced dispatching and routing capabilities powered by machine-learning technology enables shared-rides services without compromising on estimated time of pick-up and drop-off, bringing unparalleled journey planning reliability for public transport users.

During the tabling of the Selangor Budget in November 2023, the state government allocated US$5.22 million (RM25 million) to strengthen the state’s public transportation. This programme has now been branded as Selangor Mobility.

The initiative is part of the four pillars of the First Selangor Plan (RS-1) on sustainability development, aimed at shifting commuters from using private transport towards embracing public transport to achieve low-carbon cities. The plan covers all forms of public transport such as buses, railways, taxis, e-hailing services, and public transportation hubs.

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