The number of buses serving the Klang Valley will be increased, transport minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said, according to BFM. Just 766 buses currently operate in the Klang Valley daily, compared to the 4,000 buses required for the efficient service required, Loke said.
Of buses under Rapid Bus, only 900 out of the fleet’s 1,757 units are in active operation, and the transport ministry added that 45% of all buses are more than 10 years old and are in need of repair and maintenance works. The transport ministry aims to have at least 1,000 buses operating by the end of this year, the minister added.
“Some 150 Rapid KL buses are still being maintained and can be put back into service. In addition, we are appointing new bus operators,” Loke continued, adding that the transport ministry – through the land public transport agency (APAD) – will coordinate bus service routes to be more integrated in the future.
There are three different bus services currently operating in the Klang Valley, namely Rapid Bus, the free-of-charge GoKL bus service under Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Smart Selangor bus service under the Selangor state government, reported Bernama.
“We need to coordinate their routes to be more integrated and not overlap. We hope this integration and collaboration can help provide a smoother, more efficient bus service and increase the number of passengers,” the transport minister said.
Since the start of bus lane trials in the city centre along Jalan Ampang from July 3 this year, there has been a 12% increase in the number of bus passengers, from 12,936 to 14,523 passengers a day, saving around 20 minutes compared to using private cars, Loke said.
“From my observation, although there are bus lanes, many private cars still enter these lanes and cause inconvenience for the buses. The matter will be discussed further at the Cabinet meeting on traffic congestion next month, Loke continued.
The bus lane trial covers a 3 km stretch from the Risda building to the Jalan Tun Razak intersection, and is in place during the 6am to 9am peak hours on weekdays.
Rapid Bus CEO Muhammad Yazurin Sallij said at the time that 36 buses will be utilised during the six-month trial run along Jalan Ampang, comprising double-decker buses for Route 300 and DS01 as well as nine single-deck buses for Route 303, with bus frequency double from before the trial run.
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