The Association for the Improvement of Mass Transit (Transit) has taken note of the various proposals outlined in the Roadmap for the Government Transformation Programme, introduced in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

We note that one of the suggestions from the Urban Public Transport lab is to find ways to stimulate demand for public transport by encouraging people to 'start small' by using public transport for one day a week (or perhaps, one weekend). A good ticketing system, including a system of affordable day passes, would help achieve this.

In the case of ticketing, we must not allow ourselves to simply fall into the technology trap and look at high-tech systems to solve all our problems. Transit agrees that the '1 ticket 1 seamless journey' system should be cashless but there should also be a cash option that meets the needs of the very occasional users.

Also, there must be a financial incentive to using the cashless system instead of paying for the single-trip cash ticket. This is the problem with the current ‘Touch N Go’ system. Because passengers do not save money as well as time with a cashless system, they have not adopted ‘Touch N Go’ as expected. Transit would like to propose that the 1 ticket 1 seamless journey' includes the introduction of ‘Daily & Weekly’ pass options (in addition to the current monthly pass).

Daily passes encourage all-day individual and family trips on public transport (for example, a daily pass could allow 1 adult + 2 children to use it on weekends). Weekly passes present a more affordable option for those who use public transport but cannot afford the full cost of the monthly pass. Weekly passes also benefit local tourists and outstation visitors.

For international tourists, Transit strongly recommends the creation of a ‘tourist passport’ for public transport, with support and sponsorship from the Tourism Ministry. The RapidPassport introduced by RapidPenang is a good example of a place to start.

Transit also believes that tertiary students should benefit from discounts on public transport. This will encourage the younger generation to use public transport, manage their finances wisely, and avoid the debt load and costs associated with financing and operating a car. Currently, RapidPenang offers a monthly student pass option for tertiary students but RapidKL does not.

The ‘1 ticket 1 seamless journey’ must be designed to encourage people to use public transport - otherwise, it is just technology for the sake of technology.

Transit proposed in 2007 that all those who buy a monthly public transport pass (such as the monthly RapidPass) receive a deduction on their income taxes equal to the value of the monthly passes, at the end of the year.

A public transport user who purchases 12 months of the RM150 RapidPass would spend RM1800 annually on public transport.

For comparison, the income tax system currently offers deductions for the purchase of books (up to RM1,00) to encourage reading, sports equipment (up to RM300) to encourage healthy activity, and RM3000 for the purchase of a computer.

Public transport users are contributing to a green environment and reducing traffic congestion, all for the benefit of Malaysia's economy and they should receive incentives on their taxes. Their contribution is no less valuable than the reader, the active Malaysian, or the computer user.

In addition to the savings on their income taxes, public transport users should have the option of annual bulk purchases (at a discount) of public transport passes. For example, the public transport user described above, by purchasing 12 RapidPass in advance, should only have to pay RM1,500 instead of RM1800.

Finally, corporations should be encourage to purchase public transport passes for their employees. Corporations that make bulk purchases of public transport passes (monthly or annually) for their employees should receive discounts on the passes themselves, and also receive a public transport tax credit at the end of the year. This would encourage private companies to support public transport.

Public transport passes should also be available at a discount for tertiary students at colleges and universities. By encouraging students to use public transport, we will also encourage time management and good spending habits, and prevent them from having to take on the debt burden associated with owning and operating a car.

These ideas were proposed in 2007 but are no less valuable today. The time is right for the Inland Revenue Department to look at better incentives for public transport users, as a way to achieve the Urban Public Transport NKRA. Let's see these tax savings on our 2009 income tax filing!

The writer represents Transit .