Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd, along with Japan’s premier international engineering consultants, Nippon Koei Co. Ltd., and its subsidiary in Malaysia, ASAP Mobility Sdn Bhd, have been selected for a pioneering proof of concept (POC) initiative aimed at revolutionizing digital experiences in public transit within Kuala Lumpur.
This strategic selection, orchestrated by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) under the umbrella of the Asia Digital Transformation Promotion Programme (ADX Programme), seeks to establish collaborative ties between Japanese corporations and their counterparts in Asian markets. The initiative leverages digital technology to stimulate the emergence of novel industries that effectively address societal needs.
The focal point of the forthcoming POC consists of three integral components:
- The creation of a multimodal journey planning platform that seamlessly integrates services provided by Prasarana, Malaysia’s most extensive public transport operator, with Asia Mobiliti’s Demand-Responsive Transit (DRT) service;
- The establishment of an account-based ticketing (ABT) system to facilitate fare payments for the comprehensive multimodal service; and
- The development of an operational dashboard to optimize data-driven public transport operations.
Multimodal transit involves the fusion of various modes of public transportation, encompassing DRT, MRT, LRT, and buses, into a single journey, offering commuters optimal routes from origin to destination. The integration of DRT with these journeys addresses the challenge of first-mile/last-mile connectivity in public transport. Incorporating artificial intelligence into DRT systems, which intelligently assigns vehicles to passengers within a designated area based on waiting time, travel duration, and traffic conditions, promises robust and reliable end-to-end public transit experiences within urban environments.
The primary objective of the POC is to showcase the viability of a harmonious synergy among multimodal journey planning, DRT services, and multimodal ABT. This comprehensive approach is intended to significantly boost public transit ridership by seamlessly integrating first-mile/last-mile services with the “middle-mile” offerings of traditional public transportation.
Ramachandran Muniandy, CEO and co-founder of Asia Mobiliti, emphasized, “Malaysia has long grappled with persistent traffic congestion and first-mile/last-mile issues in Kuala Lumpur. Drawing from the promising outcomes of our ongoing DRT pilot with Prasarana, we are poised to demonstrate our capability to address these challenges through technology and data-driven solutions, fostering urban sustainability. This venture marks a pivotal step in our burgeoning collaboration with Nippon Koei, an exhilarating Japanese-Malaysian partnership.”
Kunihiro Uzawa, general manager of Nippon Koei Singapore branch, stated, “As the overseers of this comprehensive POC initiative, we are delighted to collaborate with Asia Mobiliti, whose vision for an improved Malaysia resonates with our own commitment to utilizing our technical expertise and dedication to construct a secure and dependable social infrastructure. We’re excited that Asia Mobiliti and Nippon Koei can exemplify our capabilities in Malaysia, with hopes for replication across Asia.”
The ADX Programme takes charge of expenses for collaborative demonstration projects conducted jointly by ASEAN and Japanese companies, aiming to address socio-economic challenges in the ASEAN region using innovative technologies, particularly digital advancements. These projects effectively harness the proactive contribution of Japanese corporations toward innovation and enhanced partnerships between governments and the private sector in the region.
The outcomes of this POC endeavor will serve as a blueprint for the potential city-wide deployment of mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) in the near future. MaaS envisions a comprehensive approach to urban transportation, integrating data from diverse transportation services onto a unified platform. This platform offers both service providers and end-users access to information via a digital interface, facilitating journey planning, booking, and ticketing functionalities.
