PETALING JAYA: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) has slammed Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) for imposing an additional RM5 fee on travellers who purchase their tickets over the counter at railway stations.
Fomca president N Marimuthu said levying a fee for all over-the-counter purchases was unacceptable, and that insisting that disabled Malaysians and senior citizens also pay the RM5 charge per ticket was “extremely heartless”.
“We have received a few complaints about this over the last two weeks. They were told that they should download the KTMB app if they want to avoid the fee.
“Are the officers joking? How would a visually disabled person use an app? What makes matters worse is that others cannot use the app to book tickets for the disabled and senior citizens.
“Why is it so difficult to accommodate these groups of Malaysians, who do not comprise a big number overall? This is totally unacceptable to the most vulnerable groups of Malaysians,” he told FMT.
Marimuthu said he was told that KTMB had invested a lot of money in upgrading its infrastructure and introducing online services, and thus wanted to recoup its capital expenditure.
If true, he said, this would be unacceptable as KTMB was a government-owned entity funded by taxpayers.
“Whether it loses or makes money, KTMB has a moral obligation to make sure that disabled Malaysians and senior citizens are given special consideration. You should see how they are treated in developed countries.”
One of the affected passengers, visually-impaired K Dinesh Menon, said a ticketing staff at the counter did not suggest any other option, only told him to pay an additional RM15 for the three tickets he wished to purchase.
“He told me I must use the KTMB app if I was not willing to pay the fee. My family members travel on KTMB trains very often, and this fee has been imposed only recently.
“How much can they make from people like us who number probably less than 10% of all rail travellers?” he said.
When contacted by FMT, a spokesperson said KTMB had implemented a cashless system this year and encouraged passengers to purchase tickets online or via self-service kiosks to enjoy more attractive fares.
“Rest assured, our station staff are always ready to assist customers with care and efficiency to ensure a smooth and pleasant purchasing experience,” she said.
She also said that KTMB maintained its concessionary fares for eligible groups such as senior citizens, pensioners, and the disabled, with a 50% discount upon completion of registration either at a counter or online.
“Apart from this, armed forces and police personnel as well as firefighters are entitled to a 25% discount while students get a discount of 40%,” she said.
