KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — Local application developers can leverage open public transport data to help commuters plan their journeys more conveniently, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.

He said the Transport Ministry (MoT) had adopted an open data policy several years ago, allowing interested parties to access the information to develop public transport applications.

“Public transport data has been made available for several years, and it can be accessed by anyone interested in developing applications,” he told reporters after launching the Masjid Jamek LRT Station beautification project here today.

Loke was responding to a question on the ministry’s support for the development of a local application ecosystem, particularly in terms of access to data.

He said the ministry encouraged the development of local applications that could make public transport more convenient for the public.

“Data under the ministry’s purview mainly relates to public transport, while road-related data involves other agencies, including the Works Ministry and the Public Works Department.

“Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) has made various datasets available to the public, covering daily passenger numbers, train frequency and service schedules,” he said.

At the event, Loke launched Phase Three of the Masjid Jamek LRT Station beautification project, which involves a RM5 million investment by Prasarana to improve commuter comfort and the station environment.

Also present were Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud, Prasarana acting president and group chief executive officer Dr Prodyut Dutt, and Think City managing director Datuk Hamdan Abdul Majeed.

Yesterday, the government decided to prohibit all civil servants from using the Waze navigation application to protect government information and users’ personal data from the risk of misuse by the Israeli regime.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the decision took into account Waze Mobile Ltd’s status as a data controller for users, with the company incorporated and operating under Israeli law. — Bernama