First the trains, now it’s buses
BADROLHISHAM BIDIN
LEFT to rot! That’s what is happening to more than 1,000 buses that served Klang Valley residents - worth RM500 million when purchased 14 years ago.
Considering the continuing saga of thousands of people who wait daily for buses that are always late, one wonders how this situation could have come about.
These RapidKL vehicles have been dumped in Batang Kali and in Sungai Buaya, Rawang.
The Malay Mail investigation into this wasteful affair was prompted by complaints from city commuters on shortage of buses, or having to wait very long for a bus.
These buses were inherited from Intrakota and Parkmay by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd, which owns commuter service provider RapidKL.
The reason for the buses, bought from Italy at RM500,000 each, to be “stored” in the two places by SPNB could not be ascertained.
It is learnt that the buses were sent there about two years ago. They could not be “cannibalised for spare parts” because the buses RapidKL now uses are of a different make.
But to say that all the buses could no longer be used does not make sense.
“The lifespan of a bus can be more than 15 years, depending on its maintenance. Since Intrakota was established in 1994, the buses could well have been roadworthy when they were dumped at the two sites two years ago,” said a source familiar with the issue.
The Intrakota buses were built by Iveco of Italy, while the present batch in use are mostly Mercedes-Benz, priced at RM350,000 or even lower as they were purchased in bulk.
RapidKL was set up in 2004 as a merger of Putra LRT, Star LRT, Intrakota and City Liner in an effort to give the Klang Valley an integrated transport system.
The company then decided to purchase brand new buses for easy maintenance.
A check at the Sungai Buaya site revealed there were about 800 buses parked on what used to be a football field.
Located close to a housing area, the buses are watched over by a lone guard, who stations himself in a cabin, and is aided by several stray dogs.
The buses, many of them showing signs of decay inside and outside, are parked on a hilltop and hidden by trees and shrubs.
At Antara Gapi in Batang Kali, the 200-odd buses are parked in an open space by the main road, also guarded by a lone security guard.
It is learnt that the buses will be disposed of by tender, a process that is expected to take several months. The buses will either be sold as scrap or to Third World countries that can “rehabilitate” them.
Both RapidKL and SPNB were not available for comment.
Early this month, Malay Mail highlighted the shortage of commuter trains, which caused the service to suffer daily disruptions.
This probe led us to the Sentul depot, where commuter trains were dumped and cannibalised for spare parts.
Following our report, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad introduced a revised schedule.
BADROLHISHAM BIDIN
LEFT to rot! That’s what is happening to more than 1,000 buses that served Klang Valley residents - worth RM500 million when purchased 14 years ago.
Considering the continuing saga of thousands of people who wait daily for buses that are always late, one wonders how this situation could have come about.
These RapidKL vehicles have been dumped in Batang Kali and in Sungai Buaya, Rawang.
The Malay Mail investigation into this wasteful affair was prompted by complaints from city commuters on shortage of buses, or having to wait very long for a bus.
These buses were inherited from Intrakota and Parkmay by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd, which owns commuter service provider RapidKL.
The reason for the buses, bought from Italy at RM500,000 each, to be “stored” in the two places by SPNB could not be ascertained.
It is learnt that the buses were sent there about two years ago. They could not be “cannibalised for spare parts” because the buses RapidKL now uses are of a different make.
But to say that all the buses could no longer be used does not make sense.
“The lifespan of a bus can be more than 15 years, depending on its maintenance. Since Intrakota was established in 1994, the buses could well have been roadworthy when they were dumped at the two sites two years ago,” said a source familiar with the issue.
The Intrakota buses were built by Iveco of Italy, while the present batch in use are mostly Mercedes-Benz, priced at RM350,000 or even lower as they were purchased in bulk.
RapidKL was set up in 2004 as a merger of Putra LRT, Star LRT, Intrakota and City Liner in an effort to give the Klang Valley an integrated transport system.
The company then decided to purchase brand new buses for easy maintenance.
A check at the Sungai Buaya site revealed there were about 800 buses parked on what used to be a football field.
Located close to a housing area, the buses are watched over by a lone guard, who stations himself in a cabin, and is aided by several stray dogs.
The buses, many of them showing signs of decay inside and outside, are parked on a hilltop and hidden by trees and shrubs.
At Antara Gapi in Batang Kali, the 200-odd buses are parked in an open space by the main road, also guarded by a lone security guard.
It is learnt that the buses will be disposed of by tender, a process that is expected to take several months. The buses will either be sold as scrap or to Third World countries that can “rehabilitate” them.
Both RapidKL and SPNB were not available for comment.
Early this month, Malay Mail highlighted the shortage of commuter trains, which caused the service to suffer daily disruptions.
This probe led us to the Sentul depot, where commuter trains were dumped and cannibalised for spare parts.
Following our report, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad introduced a revised schedule.
