What MDS Consultancy Group does

MDS Consultancy Group (operating as MDS Traffic Planners & Consultants) is a Malaysia-headquartered boutique consultancy specializing in transport, mobility, and logistics advisory services. Founded around 1993–1994 and tracing its practice lineage to MDS Transmodal Ltd (UK, 1989), the firm has delivered more than 500 projects across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and South America over 30+ years. It serves four primary customer verticals: government agencies (JKR, DBKL, MBPJ, ThinkCity), real estate developers (Sunway, Setia, UEM Sunrise, Tropicana, Gamuda), port operators (Penang Port, Bintulu Port Authority, Maersk/Port of Tanjung Pelepas), and highway operators (PLUS, LPT2, DUKE Highway), with select engagements in manufacturing and automotive (Top Glove, Proton City).

The firm operates as a single integrated consultancy practice offering nine core service lines: Urban Mobility, Traffic Engineering, Ports & Shipping, Training, Supply Chain, Active Mobility, Cruise and Ferry Industry, Spatial Data Analysis, and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning. Its technology stack centers on industry-standard transport planning and simulation tools — PTV Visum for traffic demand forecasting, VISSIM for microscopic traffic simulation, and advanced GIS for spatial data analysis — combined with data analytics and modelling expertise. The platform is not a software product; it is a methodology-and-expert stack layered on third-party engineering tools, with differentiation coming from proprietary forecasting approaches, swept-path design checks, and the practical recommendation style that explicitly advises clients against unnecessary costly infrastructure mitigation.

MDS generates revenue through project-based, expert-led consultancy engagements under a quote-based pricing model that is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led and consultative: the firm engages clients directly via its website, email, WhatsApp, and contact forms, often via referral from planning consultants and architects. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external investment, no parent company, and a headcount band of 11–50 employees, positioning itself as a small, flexible, non-bureaucratic practice drawing on a global network of specialists when project complexity requires it.

Name

MDS Consultancy Group

Legal name

MDS Consultancy Group

Website

https://mdsconsultancy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MDS Consultancy Group is a Malaysia-based boutique consultancy providing transport, mobility, and logistics advisory services to government agencies, real estate developers, port operators, and highway operators across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and South America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Petaling Jaya

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consultancy Services: MDS generates revenue through expert-led consultancy engagements providing transport studies, traffic impact assessments, feasibility studies, and strategic mobility planning for government agencies, businesses, and communities. Services are project-based with engagements typically scoped for specific deliverables.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MDS Consultancy Group is a niche transport, mobility, and logistics consultancy providing expert-led studies for government agencies, real estate developers, port operators, and highway operators. The firm delivers nine service lines spanning urban mobility planning, traffic engineering and impact assessments, ports and shipping strategy, supply chain optimization, active mobility design, cruise and ferry planning, spatial data analysis, training, and transit-oriented development (TOD) planning, using PTV Visum, VISSIM, and GIS tools.

Product overview

MDS Consultancy Group (operating as MDS Traffic Planners & Consultants) is a niche consultancy specialising in transport, mobility, and logistics with 30 years of experience. The company operates as a single integrated consultancy practice offering nine core service lines rather than a modular software platform. These services include: Urban Mobility (strategic planning of public transport and micromobility), Traffic Engineering (traffic impact assessments and road network modelling), Ports & Shipping (port planning and capacity forecasting), Training (expert-led courses in traffic and logistics), Supply Chain (end-to-end logistics optimisation), Active Mobility (cycling and walking infrastructure design), Cruise and Ferry Industry (terminal planning and forecasting), Spatial Data Analysis (GIS mapping and analytics), and TOD Planning (transit-oriented development). The services are delivered by a diverse team of specialists and supported by an extensive global network of experts, serving clients across government agencies, port operators, real estate developers, and highway operators in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Mobility Strategic planning of public transport, micromobility, and integrated mobility solutions for efficient movement of people through urban spaces, targeted at government agencies, city councils, and developers.
• Traffic Engineering Detailed traffic impact assessments, modelling, and optimisation of road networks for masterplan concept building and KM approval, providing practical actionable advice to avoid costly infrastructure mitigation, targeted at real estate developers, government agencies, and highway operators.
• Ports & Shipping Port planning, capacity forecasting, and shipping logistics strategies providing proven expertise for enhancing efficiency and competitiveness in maritime operations, targeted at port authorities, terminal operators, and maritime logistics clients.
• Training Expert-led courses and workshops in traffic, mobility, and logistics providing tailored training to equip teams with real-world skills and insights, targeted at organisations seeking to upskill staff in transport, mobility, and logistics disciplines.
• Supply Chain End-to-end supply chain analysis, logistics optimisation, and network planning solutions designed for efficiency, reduced costs, and stronger supply chains, targeted at enterprises, manufacturers, and logistics operators.
• Active Mobility Design and strategy for cycling, walking, and sustainable transport modes, bringing innovative approaches from around the world tailored to local areas to make active travel practical, appealing, and safe, targeted at city councils and urban development stakeholders.
• Cruise and Ferry Industry Strategic planning, forecasting, and infrastructure advice for cruise and ferry terminals, providing clear insights to help ports thrive in the growing tourism market, targeted at port authorities, terminal operators, and tourism stakeholders.
• Spatial Data Analysis Advanced GIS mapping, data visualisation, and analytics for selecting optimal business locations, optimising billboard placement, or quantifying the impact of placemaking exercises, turning complex spatial data into actionable insights, targeted at enterprises, advertisers, and urban planning stakeholders.
• TOD Planning Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) planning that links transport hubs and urban development through first-mile/last-mile planning, working with planning consultants and architects to build integrated, practical approaches to sustainable growth around transit, targeted at city planners, developers, and transit authorities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced signal wait times from approximately 5 minutes to 2-2.5 minutes through traffic study recommendations for MBPJ Pelangi Damansara project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP: Global professional services firm with a large transport, mobility and infrastructure advisory practice competing for the same government, developer and concessionaire clients as MDS, including active mobility and TOD planning work.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with a substantial transport planning, traffic engineering and ports practice serving the same public- and private-sector client base as MDS, but as part of a much broader multi-disciplinary portfolio.
• Mott MacDonald: International engineering, management and development consultancy with a long-established transport planning, highways and ports advisory practice. Competes with MDS for government, port authority and developer mandates in Asia, Middle East and Africa.
• Arup: Global engineering and design consultancy with deep transport planning, urban mobility, ports and active travel capabilities. Comparable in technical depth and client base, but operates at far larger scale as part of a broad multi-disciplinary portfolio.

Direct peers

• Steer Group (formerly Steer Davies Gleave): Global transport planning, traffic engineering and mobility consultancy serving public and private sector clients across infrastructure, real estate and policy. Directly comparable to MDS in service mix (traffic impact assessments, demand forecasting, urban mobility) but operates at much larger international scale.
• ITP (Integrated Transport Planning): Independent UK transport planning consultancy providing development planning, traffic impact assessment and strategic transport advice to developers, local authorities and infrastructure providers. Closely matches MDS's traffic engineering and developer-focused offering.
• Systra: Specialist transport engineering and consulting firm focused on rail, urban transit, traffic and mobility projects globally. Comparable in delivering transport planning, demand forecasting and traffic studies for governments and infrastructure operators.
• MDS Transmodal: UK-based transport consultancy originally founded in 1989 by Peter Iles (MDS Consultancy Group's founder member). Closely comparable in maritime economics, port planning and logistics consulting heritage and is the historical parent/sibling of the Malaysian entity.

Regional players

• HSS Engineers Berhad: Malaysian-listed engineering consultancy providing transport, highway, traffic and infrastructure advisory services to government and private clients. Comparable in being a regional player serving Malaysian public-sector infrastructure work, though broader in engineering scope.
• Minconsult Sdn Bhd: Malaysian engineering consultancy with a transport, highway and infrastructure planning practice serving government and developer clients. Comparable as a home-grown Malaysian consultancy competing in the same public-sector and developer market as MDS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mds-traffic-planners-consultants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MDS Consultancy Group