Little progress for express bus service

LAST Sunday, hundreds of passengers were left stranded at the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS), the main bus terminal in Kuala Lumpur, some for over eight hours.
One passenger was told that the delay was caused by traffic congestion and later the bus had broken down. Some announcements were made only when the express buses reached TBS, after many passengers had left or gone for dinner.
Such a situation is a throwback to more than 25 years ago before mobile phones were introduced in Malaysia. Today, our buses are equipped with GPS, and their locations tracked without the need to speak to the drivers.
And yet, many bus operators at TBS had the gall to keep passengers waiting indefinitely when departure times should be rescheduled and refund given to passengers who do not wish to wait.
The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) should introduce a ruling such as imposing a 10% refund if departure is delayed by half an hour, 25% for more than an hour, 50% for more than two hours, and 90% for more than three hours.
This will deter bus operators from scheduling back-to-back outstation runs that are difficult to keep, particularly during festive holidays when highways and roads are congested.
Express bus operators must also be transparent by keeping passengers informed and not treat them as cargo waiting for transport. That was what happened to many affected passengers at TBS and it was a crying shame.
Last Thursday, 300 passengers were stranded for a few hours when their buses did not arrive on schedule at the Duta Bus Terminal, as drivers were avoiding spot-checks conducted by SPAD enforcement officers there.
Effective measures are needed to prevent the same from happening in June during the Hari Raya holidays.
CY Ming
Kuala Lumpur