We’re entering one of the most important weeks of the year for Malaysians. With the 15th General Election (GE15) just around the corner, eScooter rental company Beam is offering discounts on eScooter rides across the Klang Valley through their Beam To Vote campaign.
From the 14th to the 20th of November 2022, all Beam rides will be offered at a 15% discount with an additional RM1.50 discount on top of that if you end your trip at polling station parking lots. For reference, Beam charges by the minute for their rides at RM0.60/minute. On top of that, if you don’t park at a designated parking location, you will also be charged a convenience fee.
The “last mile” connection has been a major issue for Malaysian public transport for a while, which makes micro-mobility companies like Beam important to fill in those gaps. And while it’s hard to argue against the convenience of eScooter rentals like Beam, they’ve always been on the expensive side when you want to travel distances that are further than you’d normally want to walk.
So, it’s nice to see a move like this to help encourage more public transit usage during the election period. However, it is worth noting that outside of densely populated areas, Beam doesn’t have the kind of coverage that a ride-sharing service might have. It would be advisable to plan your route properly before election day if you do plan to use public transport.
Beam isn’t the only transportation company offering discounts on their services as Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is also offering a 20% discount on one-way all-inclusive fares through it’s “Jom Balik Mengundi” campaign. All bookings made by the 19th of November 2022 for the travel period between the 11th to 27th of November 2022 will be eligible for this discount, and it’s applicable to all fare categories including Lite Basic and Flex for Economy as well as Basic and Flex for Business class.
MAS is also offering students aged between 18 to 26 years 30% off MAS and Firefly flights as well as an additional 10kg baggage allowance and one complimentary date change if they sign up as an MHexplorer member.
It’s going to be a busy weekend, so make sure you’re prepared. Definitely check your GE15 polling location to make sure you’re voting in the right place, and you can also check out which candidates represent the area where you’re voting in.