Despite this week’s announcement, myBAS Ipoh has actually supported the cashless payment system since October 2019 according to Perak Transit’s Facebook page. The deployment of the TnG card support was done through the implementation of Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS) from NEC.
Aside from collecting fares, AFCS also allows Perak Transit to gather additional statistics including the number of passengers that board and alight its buses, down to the specific stops and time of the day. The data will then be used by the company to improve its services and future planning. With 16 routes that cover a distance of more than 310 km and monthly ridership of around 163,000 passengers in 2019, the support for TnG card payment seems to be a long-time coming for myBAS Ipoh and Perak Transit. It came at the right time as well, since the government has begun to promote the adoption of cashless payment system in a more significant manner. (Source: Perak Transit.)