KUALA LUMPUR: Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd (Rapid Bus) will expand the concept of an on-demand bus service or Demand-Responsive-Transit (DRT) in several areas in the Klang Valley to strengthen the public transport system.
Its chief executive officer Muhammad Yazurin Sallij (pix) said this follows the successful proof of concept (POC) involving cooperation with Kumpool's e-hailing service booking application around Alam Megah in Shah Alam or the ‘T757’ route, beginning Feb 13.
He said that through the concept, the bus would move and operate when it received bookings from users on the application and that this was able to make bus services more effective from the aspect of operating costs and optimal use.
“The service at Alam Megah is now a regular operation after the POC was seen to be successful, the new POC is currently running at the University LRT (Light Rail Transit) Station, which began in May,” he told Bernama.
He said his company would launch up to 10 more routes and was identifying potential areas to use the feeder service which would allow commuters to book an intermediary bus service that operates on demand with a fare of RM1.
“Van or mini-bus services with a capacity of up to 30 people are more efficient and easy to move through busy areas and narrow streets such as residential areas in addition to having a high frequency.
“This service received a favourable response and the number of daily passengers increased from 20 people at the beginning of the operation to 60 a day, the waiting time was also reduced from 30 minutes to 8.4 minutes,” he said.
He said Rapid Bus would also add 410 buses, including 100 electric buses which were expected to be fully operational by the end of next year.
According to Muhammad Yazurin, at present, only 30 per cent of the buses were in operation due to the assets being over 10 years old and Rapid Bus was in the process of opening tenders for the purchase of new buses.
He said 60 per cent of the new bus additions were smaller-sized buses and for the long term, the feeder service could also be an alternative mode of transport for suburban areas as intermediary transport to train stations located further away from residential areas.
Muhammad Yazurin said Rapid Bus is also trying to overcome the shortage of drivers or bus captains which is seen as one of the main causes of the public losing trust in bus services, including offering higher wages and incentives.
“For the entire route, we need 3,190 drivers but at the moment we only have 2,350 drivers so there are constraints,” he said, adding that it was recruiting more bus captains.
He said his company was also working to add more bus lanes that could reduce travel time following the one implemented on Jalan Ampang beginning July 3.
He said among the areas identified were Jalan Genting Klang, Jalan Klang Lama and the Federal Highway and he hoped to get the cooperation of other parties including local authorities (PBT) for the purpose.
“The problem of traffic congestion and lack of infrastructure is also the reason why people are not interested in taking the bus as a transport option, so the cooperation of all parties is essential,” he said. -Bernama
