Rapid KL City Shuttle

RapidKL’s low bus fares not approved, court told

KUALA LUMPUR: RapidKL's low bus fares were implemented without the approval of the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB), a High Court heard.

The fares charged by the public transport operator, known as Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd, also did not comply with the CVLB (Rates of Fare) Rules 2000, claims bus company Metrobus Nationwide Sdn Bhd.

Metrobus, a direct competitor of RapidKL’s bus services, is seeking a judicial review of the fares at the High Court’s appellate and special powers division.

The company named the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board and the Government as respondents in its application, which was heard yesterday.

Metrobus, in its application, is seeking an order to compel both respondents to enforce the fare rules on RapidKL.

It also seeks to declare, among others, that the respondents’ failure to do so contravened Article 8(1) of the Federal Constitution, which stated that all persons are equal before the law.

Apart from that, Metrobus wants to be compensated by the respondents.

Wong Kian Kheong, counsel for Metrobus, said the fares charged by RapidKL were far lower than those stipulated under the CVLB (Rates of Fare) Rules imposed on his client.

Wong said after RapidKL implemented the low daily fares for its buses on April 21 last year, his client had suffered losses amounting to about RM88,320 a day, or some RM2.7mil a month.

The two compete on 44 routes.

Wong said Metrobus’ representatives had met the Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development Ministry secretary-general and the CVLB’s representatives in June last year to discuss the matter.

“The CVLB representatives said they had contacted RapidKL over the fares which were implemented without the board’s approval,” the lawyer said.

Federal Counsel Shamsurryaty Shamsuddin appeared for CVLB and the Government.

The hearing before Justice Abdul Kadir Musa will continue on April 24.

User's perspective on the state of public transport - suggestions on how to improve it

Hi Everyone

The above is the exact title of a report (of sorts) that I have been asked to submit to the Ministry of Finance in preparation for Budget 2009. I have created a thread with more information.

I find that the title is vague enough to allow me a lot of leeway, so this is what I am going to do...produce 2 reports.

One will be a summary of my views and opinions about the state of public transport in Malaysia, including 3 years worth of articles and letters.

The other report will be from the rakyat...a collection of opinions from the people of Malaysia - articles, letters, and direct submissions.

So, I am asking those of you who are interested...please reply to this thread with your perspectives on public transport in Malaysia and suggestions on how to improve it. You can also send your ideas to the following email address... [email protected]

if you can be as specific as possible with the emails, (e.g. KTM Komuter, KTMB, RapidKL Bus, RapidKL LRT, Rapid Penang, Regulation of Public Transport, High Speed Rail, etc etc) that would be very helpful.

My goal is to swamp the Minstry of Finance with the opinions of the public who are just tired of poorly managed, poorly regulated, low quality public transport...as well as the opinions of those who see the good in what we have and the light at the end of the long dark tunnel.

I will not take credit for anyone's ideas that go into the 2nd report. I promise I will also give credit to others as much as possible, including a full credit each report.

Oh, and here is the fun thing...they want the report by 31 March 2008...

Cheers, m

Streets mail: Two hours waiting for RapidKL bus
H.A, Shah Alam


RAPIDKL is said to be one of the most efficient public transport in this country.

However, many commuters in Shah Alam, especially those who live in Seksyen 7, do not think so. Rapid KL buses used to ply the route at 15 minute intervals. But lately, the buses are no longer punctual. Now we have to wait longer for the bus.

I am a student of UiTM and a regular user of RapidKL bus. In fact I totally depend on them to go everywhere especially for tutorial classes. Because of the irregular service, my schedules have been totally upset. Sometimes I have to wait for two hours to catch a bus to my college, which is three kilmoetres away.

Not only are the buses late, sometimes they do not stop to pick up passengers because they are full. Because of this we have to wait for another bus, which means one hour delay.


I really hope this problem can be solved immediately by RapidKL management because many people, especially students, depend on public transportation.

next topic: RapidKL Report Card

Hi Everyone

It has been just over 1 year since rapidKL "revamped" their bus services in the Klang Valley (on April 21, 2007).

I am preparing a report about RapidKL bus services, which I hope will take the form of a report card.

Normally in the assessment process, there must be outside, self, and independent assessment.

In this case, I am asking RapidKL to assess themselves. I would also like to get assessment from the public, and I will be analysing the assessment as well.

Your feedback and suggestions are welcome. I am going to try to keep things on a more macro level, talking about things like service quality, frequency, network coverage, meeting KPI, etc.

My goal is to create a constructive assessment of RapidKL which we all can use to better understand what improvements are needed to the overall system.

This is not a bashing session...but a serious and honest airing of grievances, questions, comments, and concerns.

Cheers, m

Revamp public transport now, says Nadzmi
By : Jennifer Gomez

KUALA LUMPUR: The country's biggest road transport operator is calling for the government to stay out of the business. It wants the government-linked transport companies to be privatised.

Konsortium Transnasional Bhd (KTB) chairman Datuk Nadzmi Salleh said the government-linked companies were creating unfair competition in the industry.

Citing an example, Nadzmi said Rangkaian Pengangkutan Intergrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (RapidKL), a 100 per cent government-owned company under the Ministry of Finance, was given grants to buy new buses unlike private operators who had to raise their own finance for purchases.

"This (grant) is unfair. Furthermore, it is the taxpayers' money," he said.

Because of this, RapidKL could offer lower fares compared with those approved by the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board for other operators.

KTB is currently the largest bus operator in the country with a fleet of over 1,500 buses.

Nadzmi was also calling for an immediate increase in fares for the current economy class travel for express bus operation by 54 per cent although other operators wanted a 100 per cent increase.

The transport industry has been under scrutiny since the much publicised Bukit Gantang express bus crash that killed 22 people in August last year.

The tragedy opened a can of worms, mainly about bus operators leasing out their buses to third parties as they could not manage the rising cost of operations.

Public transport fares are regulated by the government.

The industry has been calling for a revision in the government policies but nothing has been forthcoming.

Nadzmi, in calling for a revamp of the highly-regulated public transport industry, is suggesting a single authority like that of the Land Transport Authority of Singapore.

All the agencies related to the road transport industry will be under one authority.

This, he said, would result in effective formulation of policies that matched the objectives of the government, operators and commuting public.

He cited the example of taxis paying a lower toll rate while express buses had to pay the common rate.

"We should be charged the same rate as taxis since we are serving the lower income group who travel on economy class," he said.

He cited another example of diesel subsidies not being uniformly distributed currently, with KTB getting 30 per cent while other operators were given 100 per cent.

Nadzmi said the government should also reduce the current subsidised diesel rate from RM1.58 a litre to RM1 a litre to help the private sector cope with the rising cost of operations.

Operating costs had gone up substantially over the last two years.

One of the cost factors was for bus terminal rental, which had gone up by between 30 and 200 per cent since 2006, despite the fact that most of the bus terminals in the country were government-owned.

He suggested that subsidies be channelled to the lower income group, for instance stage buses (intra city buses that stop at every bus stop) and economy class travel.

He added that while fares for such travel should continue to be regulated, it should also be reviewed annually. The last fare review for the express bus industry was in 2005.

Fares for executive travel, however, should be determined by market forces, he said.