KUALA TERENGGANU, Oct 31 — The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) will introduce the stage bus service in five states starting next year.      

Its chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said the move was taken in an effort to connect areas rarely served by public transportation.

“We plan to introduce stage bus service in Kuala Terengganu, Ipoh and Kuching. If successful, we will expand it to other places,” he told reporters at a dinner with bus, taxi and hired car operators at a hotel here, last night.    

The stage bus service would be introduced in phases as the allocation for operating the service was provided by the federal government.    

Syed Hamid said the service would be adjusted according to the requirements, population, residential areas and demand from the public.               

“Our priority is to overcome problems such as hired car operators who can’t offer services outside their areas and lack of public transport in the villages.” — Bernama