KUALA LUMPUR: Bus routes in the Klang Valley will be more integrated soon to ensure a smoother and more efficient service, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He said that currently, three different bus services are operating in the area, namely Rapid Bus, the free GoKL buses operated by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Smart Selangor buses run by the Selangor government.
“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,” he told reporters.
He was met after inspecting the operations of Rapid KL bus lanes from Pandan Indah to Masjid Jamek here, with Rapid Bus chief executive officer Muhammad Yazurin Sallij Muhammad Yassin also present, Bernama reported.
Loke said that only 724 buses are operating in the Klang Valley each day, a small number compared to the need for nearly 4,000 buses for an efficient service.
However, he said Rapid Bus will continue to work on increasing that number, and it is estimated that 1,000 buses will be operational daily by the end of this year.
“Some 150 Rapid KL buses are still being maintained and can be put back into service. In addition, we are appointing new bus operators.
“For example, routes that are not covered by our buses will be outsourced to other operators,” he said.
Regarding the bus lanes that started operations in July, Loke said there has been a 12% increase in the number of passengers, from 12,936 to 14,523 per day, saving about 20 minutes compared to using private cars.
