Public Transport - Buses

[Vince]

From Dr Chua Soi Lek Blog:

Public Transportation System: Urgent Need to Improve Efficiency

Now that the government has partially removed the fuel subsidy, it should now move forward to develop an integrated public transportation system. This should be the number one and top most priority in the major towns in Klang Valley, Penang and JB and subsequently expanding to other cities and towns like Seremban, Ipoh, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

While we pride ourselves that we have one of the best road systems in the world, we also have the most toll highways. While there is massive infrastructure development, there is very little development on public transportation system and this is done on a very ad-hoc basis. Besides, there is very little integration of the transport system which deters the public from using the public transport. The fare for public transportation system itself is not cheap either.

Because of the inconveniences that the commuter has to go through and the poor integration of the rail, bus and taxi, the commuter has no choice but to opt for their own transports. An international study conducted a few years ago had rated the KL transport system as worst than Bangkok, while we continue to convince ourselves that we have a good road system and have the highest number of car ownership in ASEAN.

With the escalating fuel cost, lack of public transportation system has become an economic and social problem to average commuters. Unless the government can improve the transportation system in Klang valley, it will continue to be the hot issues for the Pakatan Rakyat.

Apart from that, the taxis in Klang valley are also facing problem as the result of this poor transportation system. At the airports, there is absolute monopoly of taxis and taxi touts are the first person to greet you when you step out of KLIA. Welcome to Malaysia and be prepared to be cheated by the touts. Taxi permit is given to politically connected people and remains in the domain of the bumiputra. To aggravate the situation, the taxi permit holders outsource their permit for a fee. The taxi operators are left with no choice but to be anti-government and at times to be unscrupulous in order to make ends meet. A revamp of the taxi system from award of taxi permit to a more reasonable taxi fare to reflect the current fuel hike should be introduced and enforcement needs to be stepped up. Until then, public dissatisfaction towards the government will continue to grow.

[rizalhakim]

Bus fares to get half-yearly reviews
By TEH ENG HOCK


PUTRAJAYA: Bus fares will be reviewed every six months, instead of once every few years.

Commercial Vehicle and Licensing Board director Naimah Ramli said this was decided at the Cabinet Committee on Public Transportation meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last month.

“This does not mean that fares will go up every six months. The Government will just review the fares, and decide if there should be a hike or to maintain the rates,” she said.

Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the Government would decide whether to raise or maintain the fares for public transportation after a research paper is presented to the Cabinet.

“We have done a survey over the past year to look at the contributing factors (to rising public transportation costs). We cannot simply announce a new pricing table overnight,” he told reporters.

Asked when the paper would be tabled to the Cabinet, he said they would “try to present it by the end of this month”.

On a question whether it was fair to prevent companies from raising their fares when their cost of operations had shot up, Saifuddin advised operators to be patient and to follow the approved fares set by the Government.

On cases of bus tickets being sold above the approved price, he said 41 bus permits had been forfeited between June 6 and 8 for various offences committed.

Meanwhile, Konsortium Transnasional Bhd managing director Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh said that unless the Government allows a huge increase in fares, the industry might fall into a state of anarchy.

“At the last review in May 2005, the rate of subsidised diesel was 71 sen per litre. The subsidised rate now is RM1.43, which is a 100% increase.

“This has translated to my company incurring additional expenses of RM35mil a year. For the first time, my company is in the red,” he said.

Nadzmi said although they receive subsidised diesel at full quota, they needed “at least a 60% fare increase to break even or incur just a small loss”.

He added that the bus fare in Indonesia at eight sen a km was higher than Malaysia’s, which is 6.5 sen per km.

He said unless a significant increase was approved, operators would stop following the law to survive.

“You can put 100 enforcement officers today. Can you do the same everyday?” said Nadzmi.

Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association (PMBOA) president Datuk Ashfar Ali concurred with Nadzmi, saying that diesel constituted about 30% of operational costs.

“The subsidised rate has gone up, but our fares have not. Our drivers get annual increments, while the cost of spare parts and labour has also gone up,” he said.

[rizalhakim]

New look bus shelters for KL
By CHRISTINA LOW


BUS shelters are rarely nice places to wait for public transport, as they are often dirty and not well maintained.

At night, many bus shelters look like a scene from a haunted house with the dimly-lit fluorescent lighting.

This will have to change if Kuala Lumpur plans on becoming a world-class city and Parisign Marketing Sdn Bhd has taken the first step to help improve the situation.

“We wanted to do something nice and adaptable to the environment and buildings around us,” Parisign managing director Michael Tan said.


Shiny sight: At night, the shelters are brightly lit to enhance safety.

The company specialising in signage manufacturing took months to study shelters in various parts of the world before deciding on one that will suit the local weather.

“In China, they have winter so their shelters are built for it but we can’t adapt such designs here as we have tropical weather,’ Tan, who has more than 25 years experience in building bus shelters, said.

Early this year, the company completed 154 bus and taxi shelters allocated to them by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

All bear the same design of glass panels and are brightly lit at night.

They also give the public a good view of the city’s skyline.

General manager Henry Tan, who was put in charge of completing the shelters, said the design was chosen to give the city a modern outlook as well as make the shelters a safer place to wait for taxis and buses.

Work on the shelters began in June last year and it took three days to complete a shelter, before the laying of electricity cables, tiling and lighting could be added.

The glass roof and backdrop differentiate the shelters from others as it was the company’s copyrighted design.

Parisign did not back down from complaints or comments on the new shelters.


Colourful: One of the new shelters along Jalan Sultan Ismail.

“We made a lot of adjustments after listening to public feedback. Most of the complaints were about the glass roof and that it was too hot,” Henry said after a trial bus shelter was placed in the Jalan Pudu area.

Parsign went on to improve its glass ceiling to provide more protection from the rain and added Rike Cool lamination, which is said to be able to provide at least 90% protection from IR radiation and also able to generate a cooling environment.


For the new style seating which is made of stainless steel, Tan said they had received complaints that it was too hot, especially during the dry season, but Parisign continued with the design in hopes of curbing vandalism.

The shelters are also equipped with side glass panels for more protection as well as bus route maps for the convenience of the public.

“We will also be introducing vending machines at the shelters so that the public can buy drinks while waiting, as certain locations do not have kiosks,” Henry said.

At night, all bus shelters are fully lighted and site inspectors will monitor the conditions regularly.

“They will check if there are bills stuck on our shelters as well as the power source is fully functioning,” Henry said, adding that any repairs would be completed within three days.

Parisign completed the task as a form of sponsorship with its sole income coming from advertisements on the shelters.

“We have invested RM22mil in building the shelters,” Henry said.

Costs also runs high if an accident occurs involving the shelters or vandals damage the glass panels, which the company has to replace within 24 hours.

From the revenue received from the advertising, Parisign said it had invested RM1.5mil in providing several improvements to the shelters.

Parisgn’s new shelters are located in Jalan Ampang, Jalan Ara, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Jalan Dungun, Jalan Gereja, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Jalan Hang Tuah, Jalan Lapangan Terbang, Jalan Pahang, Jalan Munshi Abdullah, Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Pinang, Jalan Raja Muda, Jalan Syed Putra, Jalan Yap Ah Loy, Jalan Tan Siew Sing, Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan TAR, Bukit Bintang, Jalan Dang Wangi, Jalan Imbi, Jalan Melaka, Jalan P.Ramlee, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Raja Chulan, Jalan Semantan, Jalan Melaka,Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Tun Razak.

Petaling Jaya folks can look forward to such designs in their neighbourhood soon as it is the second phase project after Kuala Lumpur.

Henry said work in Petaling Jaya had begun in stages.

[allurban]

Originally Posted by rizalhakim

New look bus shelters for KL
By CHRISTINA LOW

The shelters are also equipped with side glass panels for more protection as well as bus route maps for the convenience of the public.

According to my contact at RapidKL, they have to pay advertising rates to post bus route maps on these new shelters.

Parisgn’s new shelters are located in Jalan Ampang, Jalan Ara, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Jalan Dungun, Jalan Gereja, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Jalan Hang Tuah, Jalan Lapangan Terbang, Jalan Pahang, Jalan Munshi Abdullah, Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Pinang, Jalan Raja Muda, Jalan Syed Putra, Jalan Yap Ah Loy, Jalan Tan Siew Sing, Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan TAR, Bukit Bintang, Jalan Dang Wangi, Jalan Imbi, Jalan Melaka, Jalan P.Ramlee, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Raja Chulan, Jalan Semantan, Jalan Melaka,Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Tun Razak..

Has anyone seen any of these shelters with bus route maps? If you have any photos, we should create a thread for the ads on the new shelters

It is quite interesting as Toronto went through a bus shelter rebuilding campaign and they also privatized the shelters...it turned into an advertising vehicle and the company that won the contract started violating all of the agreements too!

Check it out at this web page.
For more info on the new street furniture in Toronto you can see this page: http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/439875

Cheers, m

[allurban]

Wow, even TDM is talking about RapidKL

Yang Berhormat Dato’ Bung Mokhtar Radin (Ahli Parlimen Kinabatangan) telah bertanya dalam Dewan Rakyat berkenaan 1000 lebih bas milik Rapid KL yang tersadai dan tidak diguna.

Bas-bas ini dikatakan asalnya milik Intrakota dan City Liner yang telah diambilalih oleh Rapid KL yang dipercayai adalah milik Khazanah. Bas-bas ini masih boleh diguna atau boleh diperbaiki dan dijual oleh Rapid KL.

Tetapi Rapid KL tidak berusaha bersungguh-sungguh untuk mendapat balik sedikit pun daripada kos pembelian syarikat-syarikat ini.

Kenapa?

Apakah Rapid KL begitu untung dan boleh tanggung rugi yang tidak kecil daripada menjadikan bas-bas yang dibeli olehnya sebagai besi buruk?

Rapid KL terkenal dengan jumlah besar bas baru yang dimilikinya. Umum tahu yang bas-bas ini kerap kosong. Oleh kerana ia adalah GLC dan melibatkan wang rakyat sepatutnya untung-ruginya diumumkan kepada orang ramai. Tetapi kita tidak pernah melihat kira-kira untung ruginya. Untung besarkah RapidKL dan Khazanah?

Kita bangga dengan design bas-bas yang dimiliki oleh Rapid KL. Ia amat moden. Saya ingin tahu siapakah yang membekal bas-bas ini. Saya percaya pembekal bas-bas ini meraih keuntungan yang besar kerana begitu banyak bas yang jelas dibeli oleh Rapid KL. Mungkinkah pelupusan dan write-off begitu banyak bas-bas lama adalah supaya bas baru dapat dibeli daripada pembekal tertentu? Jika ya, nampaknya Rapid KL diadakan untuk menguntungkan pembekal. Apakah adanya Rapid-Penang juga tidak mempunyai tujuan yang sama?

Apakah benar pembekal bas Rapid KL dan Rapid Penang ialah M-Trans yang dimiliki 100% oleh Scomi yang dimiliki oleh sipolan-sipolan yang mempunyai talian kekeluargaan dengan pemimpin besar negara?

Katanya pesanan untuk bas baru oleh Rapid KL adalah begitu banyak sehingga Scomi tidak dapat membinanya. Oleh itu Scomi dibenar import bas dari China. Apakah harga import dan harga jualan kepada Rapid KL? Apakah syarikat lain dibenar import bas baru dari luar negeri? Apakah duti import yang dibayar?

Disiarkan gambar-gambar Scomi Coach Sdn Bhd (dahulu dikenali sebagai M-Trans Sdn Bhd) yang berada di tempat yang sama dengan Scomi Rail Bhd (dahulu dikenali sebagai M-Trans Technology Sdn Bhd)


Pictures below

Penceroboh boleh ditembak

Bas-bas Rapid KL yang tersadai

Bas-bas baru Rapid KL yang sedang dibina di kilang Scomi


Kita juga dengar khabar angin bahawa Scomi juga dapat kontrak membekal unit-unit monorel untuk projek monorel di Pulau Pinang. Sekali lagi Scomi hanya akan membekal unit monorel sahaja dan tidak akan terlibat dengan pembangunan dan pengurusan sistem monorel di Pulau Pinang. Umum tahu pembangunan dan pengurusan tidak memberi keuntungan. Menjual unit monorel tetap untung terutama jika tidak ada tender atau tender di buat dengan spesifikasi yang hanya jenis unit monorel Scomi sahaja yang boleh menepatinya.

(Disiarkan dibawah gambar yang menunjuk rel untuk percubaan unit monorel yang terdapat di kilang Scomi Rail Bhd)


Rel untuk test unit. Dibelakang terlihat satu unit monorel di atas test-rail

Papan kenyataan Scomi Coach Sdn Bhd dan Scomi Rail Bhd

Can someone translate?

Cheers, m

[forrestcat]

To condense what Mahathir wrote, he is arguing while 1000 buses former Intrakota is abandoned, Scomi's factory is fast churning our brand new buses for RapidKl while Scomi monorail division is now a bee-hive of activities with monorail coaches seen on the test track.

He's implicating that Badawi's son(Scomi director?) is using his privileged position to win contracts from RapidKL to supply new buses and hint that Scomi will supply monorail coaches for the Penang monorail.

[forrestcat]

Originally Posted by forrestcat

To condense what Mahathir wrote, he is arguing while 1000 buses former Intrakota is abandoned, Scomi's factory is fast churning our brand new buses for RapidKl while Scomi monorail division is now a bee-hive of activities with monorail coaches seen on the test track.

He's implicating that Badawi's son(Scomi director?) is using his privileged position to win contracts from RapidKL to supply new buses and hint that Scomi will supply monorail coaches for the Penang monorail.

RapidKL buses let to rot so someone could profiteer?

Dr M raised some megabuck questions in his blog that concern the Abdullah Administration and a company linked to the PM's son:

* Is government-linked public transport operator RapidKL profiting so much as to be able to afford leaving 1,000 of its buses to rust and become scrap metal?

* Who is the supplier of these buses to RapidKL -- is it Scomi Coach Sdn Bhd, a company controlled by Abdullah’s son, Kamaluddin?

* Is the ‘bus graveyard’ in Sungi Choh, Rawang, which houses the abandoned RapidKL buses, owned by Scomi Coach Sdn and Scomi Rail Bhd (the latter supplies coaches for RapidKL’s light rail transit services)?

Mahathir posted four pictures of the 'bus graveyard' with Scomi trademarks to complement his blog entry.

Dr M said RapidKL, being a GLC, should table its accounts for the public to see.

It's a simple demand even a parliamentarian like Bung Mokhtar had asked for but did not get.

Screenshots

[liping_t]

Originally Posted by rizalhakim

New look bus shelters for KL
By CHRISTINA LOW


BUS shelters are rarely nice places to wait for public transport, as they are often dirty and not well maintained.

At night, many bus shelters look like a scene from a haunted house with the dimly-lit fluorescent lighting.

This will have to change if Kuala Lumpur plans on becoming a world-class city and Parisign Marketing Sdn Bhd has taken the first step to help improve the situation.

“We wanted to do something nice and adaptable to the environment and buildings around us,” Parisign managing director Michael Tan said.


Shiny sight: At night, the shelters are brightly lit to enhance safety.

The company specialising in signage manufacturing took months to study shelters in various parts of the world before deciding on one that will suit the local weather.

“In China, they have winter so their shelters are built for it but we can’t adapt such designs here as we have tropical weather,’ Tan, who has more than 25 years experience in building bus shelters, said.

Early this year, the company completed 154 bus and taxi shelters allocated to them by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

All bear the same design of glass panels and are brightly lit at night.

They also give the public a good view of the city’s skyline.

General manager Henry Tan, who was put in charge of completing the shelters, said the design was chosen to give the city a modern outlook as well as make the shelters a safer place to wait for taxis and buses.

Work on the shelters began in June last year and it took three days to complete a shelter, before the laying of electricity cables, tiling and lighting could be added.

The glass roof and backdrop differentiate the shelters from others as it was the company’s copyrighted design.

Parisign did not back down from complaints or comments on the new shelters.


Colourful: One of the new shelters along Jalan Sultan Ismail.

“We made a lot of adjustments after listening to public feedback. Most of the complaints were about the glass roof and that it was too hot,” Henry said after a trial bus shelter was placed in the Jalan Pudu area.

Parsign went on to improve its glass ceiling to provide more protection from the rain and added Rike Cool lamination, which is said to be able to provide at least 90% protection from IR radiation and also able to generate a cooling environment.


For the new style seating which is made of stainless steel, Tan said they had received complaints that it was too hot, especially during the dry season, but Parisign continued with the design in hopes of curbing vandalism.

The shelters are also equipped with side glass panels for more protection as well as bus route maps for the convenience of the public.

“We will also be introducing vending machines at the shelters so that the public can buy drinks while waiting, as certain locations do not have kiosks,” Henry said.

At night, all bus shelters are fully lighted and site inspectors will monitor the conditions regularly.

“They will check if there are bills stuck on our shelters as well as the power source is fully functioning,” Henry said, adding that any repairs would be completed within three days.

Parisign completed the task as a form of sponsorship with its sole income coming from advertisements on the shelters.

“We have invested RM22mil in building the shelters,” Henry said.

Costs also runs high if an accident occurs involving the shelters or vandals damage the glass panels, which the company has to replace within 24 hours.

From the revenue received from the advertising, Parisign said it had invested RM1.5mil in providing several improvements to the shelters.

Parisgn’s new shelters are located in Jalan Ampang, Jalan Ara, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Jalan Dungun, Jalan Gereja, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Jalan Hang Tuah, Jalan Lapangan Terbang, Jalan Pahang, Jalan Munshi Abdullah, Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Pinang, Jalan Raja Muda, Jalan Syed Putra, Jalan Yap Ah Loy, Jalan Tan Siew Sing, Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan TAR, Bukit Bintang, Jalan Dang Wangi, Jalan Imbi, Jalan Melaka, Jalan P.Ramlee, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Raja Chulan, Jalan Semantan, Jalan Melaka,Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Tun Razak.

Petaling Jaya folks can look forward to such designs in their neighbourhood soon as it is the second phase project after Kuala Lumpur.

Henry said work in Petaling Jaya had begun in stages.

nice shelters! I hope it continues to look this good

[forrestcat]

June 12, 2008 20:43 PM

Old Buses At Rawang Plant Undergoing Refurbishment, Says Scomi

RAWANG, June 12 (Bernama) -- Scomi Engineering Bhd Thursday denied that there are abandoned old buses at its Rawang plant, explaining that the buses are undergoing refurbishment work.

Its president Hilmy Zaini said the plant was also providing services like maintenance, design and manufacturing of new and old buses for customers.

The company has become one of top three producers of superior buses for city, intercity and tourism transport in Malaysia, he said at a media briefing here.

Pictures posted by a blogger on the Internet yesterday claimed that old buses are abandoned at the Rawang plant.

Hilmy said any party should show proof first with facts before making any claims about the Scomi group.

"We supply about 200 buses for RapidKL and majority of the old buses in our yard are 14 years old and above. Currently, 50 buses have completed the refurbishment process," he said.

-- BERNAMA

[rizalhakim]

RM80 max for one-way ticket


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ALOR STAR: Luxury "executive" coaches are allowed to charge a maximum of RM80 for a one-way ticket to any destination.

Kedah Road Transport Department director Jaafar Mohamed said regular express buses from here to Kuala Lumpur were not allowed to charge more than RM30 for a single ticket.

He warned that bus companies caught overcharging could be fined up to RM10,000 or a year's jail.

He said the RTD had received no complaints that bus companies were charging passengers an extra RM10 once they boarded the bus.

"No, but we hope people will come forward so we can investigate," he said, adding that the identities of the complainants would be protected.

A seller of express bus tickets, Ridzuan Zakaria, said they imposed the surcharge after departure to cover the rise in the price of fuel.

But Kedah Consumer Association president Datuk Yusoff Ismail said with their fleet cards, public bus companies were still enjoying subsidised diesel.

[rizalhakim]

41 bus operators lose licences



PUTRAJAYA: Forty-one express bus operators had their licences revoked as of June 8.

Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said they were hauled up for increasing fares without approval.

"We understand the plight of the operators but they cannot raise fares as they please, without the government's consent," said Saifuddin yesterday.

He said the ministry had conducted a study on the revision of bus fares and a report would be ready soon.

"I urge all bus operators to be patient until the government makes a decision, which we hope will be publicised by the end of this month."

He urged the public not to be cheated by touts and to report them to the police if they or bus operators charged them more than the scheduled fares.

[AAG]

busnya bagus2 yah

di indonesia baru saja di mulai era brt

the plan was proposed on 2004

and it began to adapted on indonesia big city such as jogjakarta

denpasar--->Bali

pontianak and the other big city in kalimantan

jagalah baik2 bus mu yah rakyat malaysia janganlah engkau rusak ya.

[allurban]

Originally Posted by AAG

busnya bagus2 yah

di indonesia baru saja di mulai era brt

the plan was proposed on 2004

and it began to adapted on indonesia big city such as jogjakarta

denpasar--->Bali

pontianak and the other big city in kalimantan

jagalah baik2 bus mu yah rakyat malaysia janganlah engkau rusak ya.

Sounds great for Indonesia Now that they can see that Tije has been a success, what is the expansion plan? Which cities will have BRT next? And how soon?

To my mind Jogjakarta makes sense as the next place to implement BRT.

Edit...visit http://transjogja.net

Cheers, m

[rizalhakim]

Scomi to refurbish 150 Prasarana Negara buses
By EILEEN HEE


RAWANG: Scomi Engineering Bhd via business division Scomi Coach Sdn Bhd expects to complete refurbishing 150 buses within two months for a major customer.

According to president Hilmy Zaini, the buses, which belong to Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd, would be refurbished at a price that was much lower than the cost of purchasing new buses.

“We have refurbished 50 buses,” he said during a media visit to the company’s monorail and bus manufacturing facility in Rawang yesterday.

Last year, the bus division contributed RM20mil to the company’s revenue, Hilmy said.

He added that Scomi was targeting to enter new markets for its bus business and planned to expand to India.

“Because of the (monorail) projects that we are involved in there (India), we find that this could be an opportunity for us.

“We are also looking to introduce the completely-knocked-down business for export,” he said.

The facility in Rawang, which produces about 400 buses a year, also will see an adjacent factory built in six months.

“This new facility would be used to manufacture monorail and rail systems,” he said.

[rizalhakim]

New look for KL bus shelters and taxi stops


KUALA Lumpur will be getting a facelift with new bus shelters and taxi stops that are designed not only to be stylish but also to last longer.

New concessionaire Ritz Outdoor Worldwide (ROW) has been chosen by City Hall to spearhead the efforts to change the look of bus shelters and taxi stops to make KL a world-class city. ROW will be responsible for the development, installation and maintenance of 910 bus and taxi shelters in 11 districts in Kuala Lumpur.

“We are satisfied because the company is very comprehensive and has come up with interesting concepts for the bus shelters and taxi stops,” said Federal Territories Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Bakaruddin Othman during a site visit to the company’s factory to inspect the manufacturing processes of the bus shelters.

This project is part of the KL Street Furniture Concession, which is a new initiative by the Federal Territories Ministry and City Hall to redevelop all the existing bus and taxi shelters in Kuala Lumpur to ensure better transport shelters for commuters and create a new identity for KL.


Getting a feel: City Hall, FT Ministry and ROW representatives trying out the bus shelters at the ROW factory.

It is also aimed at reducing government and local authority operational spending through privatisation.

“The 910 shelters will be built over three years and we will replace the old stops with new ones. There are five different models that we have designed to suit different places and sizes,” said ROW executive chairman Abdul Manan Nasir.

The stops are also built to last longer as they incorporate features to prevent vandalism.

“We use tempered glass of 8mm to 9mm thickness so that it will not break easily. We also have a comprehensive main-tenance programme, under which we will clean the stops every few days. We use chemicals that will remove any unwanted stickers or banners stuck on to the stops,” Abdul Manan explained.

ROW is also looking at using rough surface so that stickers cannot be stuck onto the shelters.

“We also use uniquely de-signed screws to put together the shelters so that they cannot be removed with normal screwdrivers. We have factored in vandalism when designing these shelters,” he added.

The smaller stops cost about RM30,000 each while the bigger ones cost about RM70,000 each.

“The building cost is borne by the concessionaire but they also have the exclusive rights to advertising. That said, content of the advertisements will still be regulated by City Hall,” Bakaruddin explained.

ROW will be using the network concept to sell advertisements rather than selling the whole bus shelter space.

“We will be using the network concept where we move the advertisements from one shelter to another within a particular time-frame. This is the latest advertising trend that the world is moving towards,” Abdul Manan said.

All the other concessionaires will have to follow the new models and specifications of these shelters designed by ROW.

.......aik...new one again????

[rizalhakim]

Permit 60 bas sudah disita

SHAH ALAM - Tindakan menaikkan tambang sesuka hati telah menyebabkan 60 permit bas telah disita setakat ini sejak kenaikan harga minyak pada 5 Jun lalu.

Timbalan Menteri Pembangunan Usahawan dan Koperasi, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah berkata, alasan syarikat bas bahawa kos bahan api meningkat tidak boleh diterima kerana mereka masih menikmati diesel subsidi yang kekal pada RM1.43 seliter.

Sejak kerajaan menaikkan harga petrol sebanyak 78 sen kepada RM2.70 dan diesel meningkat RM1.00 kepada RM2.58, sesetengah pengusaha mengambil kesempatan mengaut keuntungan kerana pada minggu harga minyak dinaikkan adalah minggu akhir cuti sekolah.

Bercakap kepada pemberita melancarkan syarikat francais pengurusan dan perancangan harta pusaka, Wasiyyah Shoppe Sdn. Bhd., di sini semalam, Saifuddin berkata, Lembaga Pelesenan Kenderaan Perdagangan (LPKP) terus memantau pengusaha-pengusaha pengangkutan awam bagi memastikan mereka mematuhi arahan ini.

Kali terakhir tambang pengangkutan awam dinaikkan ialah pada tahun 2005.

Sementara itu, Pengerusi LPKP, Datuk Markiman Kobiran berkata, syarikat yang terbabit akan dikenakan tindakan di bawah Seksyen 19 Akta LPKP kerana melanggar peraturan kadar tambang.

"Jika didapati bersalah, semua syarikat bas itu boleh dikenakan tindakan gantung lesen atau operasi mereka dibatalkan.

"Kita akan meminta surat tunjuk sebab dan jika alasan mereka tidak memuaskan, baru tindakan diambil," katanya.

[TWK90]

Source : http://www.bharian.com.my/Current_Ne...23000/Article/

Menteri Kewangan Kedua, Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop pada mesyuarat mengenai Bajet 2009, menjelaskan akan memberi fokus kepada usaha mempertingkatkan kecekapan sistem pengangkutan awam, termasuk kemungkinan memperkenalkan lebih banyak insentif, peruntukan dan bantuan selain perkhidmatan bas ekspres di lebuh raya utama dengan menjadikan kawasan rehat dan rawat (R&R) sebagai terminal atau perhentian.

“Beberapa insentif baru akan diberikan kepada syarikat pengangkutan awam bagi membolehkan mereka menyediakan perkhidmatan yang baik dan murah. Ada cadangan supaya kita jadikan R&R sebagai tempat untuk menaiki bas dengan tambang lebih murah dan perjalanan lebih kerap.

“Perkhidmatan RapidKL dan Rapid Penang juga akan ditingkatkan dengan pembelian 100 bas lagi, manakala perkhidmatan yang sama akan diperkenalkan di bandar lain,” katanya.

[rizalhakim]

Bus operator hit by higher fuel prices
By Zurinna Raja Adam Published: 2008/06/25




KONSORTIUM Transnasional Bhd (KTB), an operator of inter-city and express bus services, expects to incur losses this year as it has to bear an additional RM35 million in operating cost due to higher oil prices.

The group is asking the government to allow a 54 per cent increase in charges for its express buses and a 38 per cent increase in city bus charges.

The last fare increase was in 2005.

Chairman and managing director Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh said due to higher fuel prices, KTB would have to bear the 123 per cent jump in operating cost.



"If the government does not agree to a price increase, it won't be fair to bus operators like us," he said after the group's annual general meeting yesterday.

For the first quarter ended March 31 2008, KTB reported RM6.85 million in losses on revenue of RM62.5 million. During the same period last year, the group made a RM53,000 gain and RM53.6 million in revenue.

For the full year ended December 31 2007, KTB posted RM4.5 million in profit and RM70.9 million in revenue.

Nadzmi said transport fares should be increased three to five per cent every year, which is the current practice in developed countries.

"(That way), when a global price increase like this happens, the public won't feel the pinch that much, and it helps bus operators like us to survive," he added.

Commenting on its compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, Nadzmi said the plan to spend over RM300 million to increase its CNG fleet to 374 buses from the current 60 by year-end is still underway.

"As a provider, that's our aim. However, the infrastructure for CNG buses by oil companies is still not ready yet," he said, adding that CNG buses will help to offset the company's losses.

On overseas expansion, Nadzmi said the group is on the lookout to buy rival companies in Indonesia to expand its business in the country.

[rizalhakim]

Buses causing traffic crawl
By YIP YOKE TENG


THE daily traffic crawl at Leboh Pudu, Jalan Tun H.S. Lee and Jalan Petaling is becoming unbearable, no thanks to selfish bus operators.

Traders lament that the operators always park their buses along the narrow roads to wait for passengers.

The buses are left there for more than 30 minutes, with their engines on, before departing and replaced by other buses.


No way out: The driver of the car trying to weave his way out of the jam caused by the parked buses.

An old-timer, who wanted to be known only as Joe, said the buses were always parked there between 8am and 8pm.

“Their engines are always on, emitting fumes that pose serious health hazard to the public and making the surroundings hot.

“Worse still, look at how the buses have damaged the road kerbs and road surfaces,” he said, pointing at the pothole-laden stretches.

Joe added that the three complaints he made at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) fell on deaf ears.

A check by StarMetro at about 5pm on a weekday showed that the buses were occupying half of Leboh Pudu, and two of the three lanes of Jalan Tun H.S.Lee and Jalan Petaling, near Bangkok Bank.

Another trader, Yap, said the business there had been seriously affected by the traffic problems created by these buses.


Unsolved: The daily traffic congestion is a normal scene at Jalan H.S.Lee, Leboh Pudu and Jalan Petaling.

“Traffic congestion on these stretches is so notorious that people do not want to come here anymore.

“We urge the authority to attend to this matter because the buses are not only affecting these few roads, but the whole of Chinatown and Masjid Jamek,” Yap said.

He added that there was always a strong presence of DBKL enforcement officers but the problem persisted.

“I suppose they practice selective enforcement. They only fine the motorists, but never the bus operators.

“Even former Transport Minister Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy visited the area and pledged to solve it, but until now nothing has been done,” Yap added.

DBKL director-general Datuk Salleh Yusup said the matter required the involvement of various parties, and he would order the relevant DBKL departments to take heed.

Asked about accusations that DBKL enforcement officers had failed to monitor the situation, Salleh said the bus operators had already been slapped with many compound notices.

[travellator]

It seems to be all Metrobus company. do the bus drivers and conductors work on commission? low basic pay and commission on the number of passenger fares, or mayb they rent the bus and collect all the fares for themselves.
I dont see this situation improving if this way of managing buses by commission continues. Its fair wages for bus drivers and conductors no commission on passengers that will improve this parking and waiting problem