KUALA LUMPUR, 29 August – Rapid KL would like to provide clarification and clear the confusion caused by using the term “mini buses” in describing its experimental project for Route T300.
Speaking at a press conference here, Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd (Rapid Bus) Chief Executive Officer, Muhammad Yazurin Sallij explained that the term “mini buses” refer to shorter eight-meter buses, which are mini in size as compared to its 10-meter and 12-meter brethrens. Rapid Bus is not repurposing pink mini buses that were a ubiquitous fixture on the roads of Kuala Lumpur some twenty years ago.
“Technically, these are ‘midi’ buses. For the trial period, we are using eight-meter, fully air-conditioned 27-seater buses. Some routes have narrow roads or low demand or the distance is too short, so we need to adjust and modify the kind of vehicles that we use so that we could still serve our guests effectively,” he said.
Similar to all Rapid KL buses, the mini buses will use a cashless system; accepting only Touch N’Go travel cards and the My100 and My50 subscription packages. The trial run will go for three months; starting September 1.
“We believe with shorter buses, we can increase the frequency and serve our guests better as it will have faster turnaround time,” said Muhammad Yazurin, who also pointed out challenges faced by normal-sized buses such as space limitation due to haphazard parking by private vehicle owners that results in longer bus trips and delays.
“If there is encouraging demand during the trial, we will consider retaining the service for this route and possibly extend similar service to other potential routes. This is part of our continuous effort to provide efficient public transport services for the people,” he added.
Route T300 covers the Bukit Indah hub to Ampang Point, via Jalan Rasmi from 5.30am to 11.40pm daily, at a frequency of 15 minutes during peak hours and 25 minutes for non-peak hours.
Commuters are welcomed to give feedback during the trial by contacting the Rapid KL Helpline at 03-7885 2585 or email to suggest@rapidkl.com.my.
