Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Transport has identified several areas around stations along the Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3) Shah Alam Line for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Its Minister, Anthony Loke, highlighted potential areas such as the Sri Andalas, Kayu Ara, Bandar Bukit Tinggi, and Johan Setia stations, which offer large spaces for the development of commercial centres or affordable housing.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Loke emphasized the need to optimize land use, moving beyond the traditional park-and-ride model that benefits only a limited number of vehicles. He pointed out that with 600 parking bays, only 600 vehicles benefit throughout the day, which does not align with the government's policy to maximize land use through the TOD concept.
He made these remarks at a press conference following the launch of the LRT3 Shah Alam Line, attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and other key officials. Loke mentioned that the development in these areas will involve private sector cooperation to ensure that the public enjoys the benefits of such development.
Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) also plans to construct five additional stations for the Shah Alam Line, namely at Tropicana, Raja Muda, Temasya, Bukit Raja, and Bandar Botanik, with construction expected to commence by the end of this year.
Earlier, Prime Minister Anwar, during his speech at the launch, urged for Prasarana-owned land near public transport stations to be developed into public housing projects under the TOD concept. He emphasized that developments near LRT and MRT stations should prioritize parking facilities and commercial spaces for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, which could reduce commuting costs and increase public transport usage while generating better commercial returns.
Anwar also announced that the LRT3 Shah Alam Line will offer free rides to passengers for one month, starting from June 29 to July 31. The free fare initiative will also extend to Prasarana-operated feeder bus services along the Shah Alam Line. The LRT3 Shah Alam Line, stretching from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia, is poised to benefit two million residents along its 37.8-kilometre route. Prasarana aims for a daily ridership of 67,000 passengers in its first year, rising to 117,708 passengers per day within five years.