Muhammad Yazurin says Rapid Bus is targeting 30,000 commuters daily after the implementation of the Jalan Ampang dedicated bus lane trial.
A DEDICATED bus lane will start on July 3 along Jalan Ampang as part of a trial project by Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
Set to run for six months, the project will cover a 3km stretch from the Risda building to the Jalan Tun Razak intersection, during the 6am to 9am peak hours on weekdays.
There are plans to extend this later to serve the evening peak hours too, from 5pm to 7pm.
A contraflow lane will be in place for motorists heading to Jalan Tun Razak.
“The travel time through Jalan Ampang is expected to be cut by 10 minutes once the dedicated bus lane is implemented from July 3,” said Rapid Bus chief executive officer Muhammad Yazurin Sallij in an interview with StarMetro.“We are targeting 30,000 commuters daily to use the Jalan Ampang route.
“The objective is for Kuala Lumpur to reduce private vehicle usage from 50,000 to 40,000.
“The bus fare will be RM1.90 per ride. However, I encourage commuters to pick up the MY50 monthly pass that costs RM50.
“We target a three-minute frequency. The current frequency is seven to 10 minutes.
“We plan to add four or five buses for the Jalan Ampang route to reduce waiting time,” he said.
Muhammad Yazurin said 36 buses would 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.
“If the trial run is a success, this will be permanent,” he said.
He also said Rapid KL planned to have bus service for Jalan Genting Klang, Jalan Kelang Lama and the Federal Highway to ensure better connectivity for commuters.
“The number of vehicles entering Kuala Lumpur has risen to six million, resulting in increased traffic congestion.
“To address these challenges, the bus lane trial project aims to encourage more to use public transport.
“Commuters can take advantage of the park-and-ride facility at Ampang LRT station that has 1,200 parking bays,” he added.
The Ampang Park LRT serves as a central hub for bus transfers, allowing passengers to connect to the Putrajaya Line or Kelana Jaya Line.
The Ampang bus route will have seven stops – Risda Building, 3 Towers, Gleneagles Hospital, Great Eastern Mall, Perkeso, Ampwalk Mall and Proton Edar.
