Rapid KL City Shuttle

Sell the old buses as scrap, RapidKL told
Story and photo by STUART MICHAEL


THE Selangor Government has asked RapidKL to consider disposing of its old buses as scrap metal instead of letting them rot in the yards.

According to Selangor state local government, research and studies committee chairman Ronnie Liu, there are nearly 1,600 buses at Antara Gapi and Bandar Sungai Buaya, which have been labelled bus graveyards.

“I did not believe there were so many buses condemned and wanted to see for myself. It is an eyesore,” he said.


Bus graveyard: Buses belonging to RapidKL and other companies left to rot at Bandar Sungai Buaya.

Liu said this when visiting Antara Gapi and Bandar Sungai Buaya with Hulu Selangor District Council officers.

He said the buses had been towed there and left to rot for the last two years after RapidKL bought new ones.

“Some of these buses have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The Hulu Selangor District Council have recorded 237 dengue cases in the district this year,” Liu said.

Streets Mail: No bus service from Taman Tun Dr Ismail
Renganathan, Kuala Lumpur

THERE are no bus services from Taman Tun Dr Ismail to the city centre. There is only bus U83 from Bandar Utama/TTDI to KL Sentral; from there to go to Jalan Tun Perak, Masjid India and the areas around there, one has to take a bus from Brickfields which goes through Jalan Raja Laut which is very inconvenient to senior citizens like me.

During the Intrakota period, three services were provided; 20A to Chow Kit, 20B to Bukit Bintang and 20C to Jalan Sultan Mohd. Terminus. Metro Bus No.6 is not reliable.

Because of the unavailable bus services we are forced to drive and you know the problems we face for parking and others.

RapidKL passenger’s ticket picked the winner in contest


IT pays to use public transport. This was especially true for Mohd Nazril Harun, 28, who won the first prize in the Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (RapidKL) “Simpan & Menang competition.

Nazril won RM8,888 when his ticket was drawn as the winning bus ticket. He was presented a cheque for the prize on July 16 at the KL Sentral Bus Hub by RapidKL CEO Suffian Baharuddin.

The Simpan & Menang competition was held from March to May when bus passengers were told to keep their bus tickets for a lucky draw to be held at the end of May.

The winning tickets were advertised in the local media.


Lucky passenger: Suffian (left) presenting a mock cheque to Nazril.

“I also kept all my tickets when this competition was held in 2007. I kept my tickets again this year and this time around luck was on my side. I still have not decided how I am going to spend the money. But it looks like I had better just save it,” said Nazril.

On using the RapidKL bus, Nazril said that, on the whole, the bus service is more than satisfactory.

“I use the bus every day to commute to work from Desa Pandan to my office in Jalan Sultan Ismail. It is economical and so far the service has been good. I do not face bus delays except when the weather is bad. However, my main disappointment is with the attitude of some of the passengers who refuse to go to the back and this results in the front of the bus being crowded. This makes it difficult for other passengers to board the bus,” he said.

Time to act on public transport


I WOULD like to commend the media and the MPs and assemblymen for their recent attention to the public transport problem in Malaysia.

For too long, the government has shown a lack of interest in public transport and this lack of interest has been reflected in their decision-making.

All MPs and assemblymen should be demanding an explanation about the state of public transport in our country. I also hope that the increased attention and awareness on public transportation will lead to greater government accountability.

The stronger presence of the Opposition parties in Parliament and at state level should also help the cause of public transportation.

I am even tempted to congratulate the new government of Penang for asking the state government to forget about megaprojects and focus on building public transportation from the bottom up.

One area that MPs and assemblymen should be asking tough questions about is the route planning and services that RapidKL has been offering in the past year.

In spite of a 100% capital subsidy (because Prasarana owns the buses) and a 50% operations subsidy (provided by the Finance Ministry), RapidKL has still not been able to provide the standard of service that commuters need.

Actually, RapidKL has been catering for a small market since 2006.

The DTS, (Dedicated Transport Service) is a bus service operated by RapidKL serving an exclusive market. DTS links Cyberjaya with other communities in the Klang Valley.

In the past, RapidKL leased buses from an express bus company but, today, they use the RapidKL Long Haul buses.

I personally have no problem with RapidKL operating a specific, small-market service if it is a bonus on top of an already excellent service. However, I do have a problem with what RapidKL is doing right now.

This DTS for Cyberjaya comes at the expense of the service that they are supposed to be offering to the mass market.

RapidKL should not be using their buses and drivers to offer a profitable bus service to an exclusive market, especially when there is a driver and bus shortage on the mass-market routes.

The above examples show us why there needs to be greater awareness about public transportation in Malaysia.

Everyone needs to sort out their priorities and start working hard to improve public transportation.

MOAZ YUSUF
Subang Jaya

RapidKL silent on rep’s request
By OH ING YEEN


FOR the past one month, Selangor DAP secretary and Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San has been trying to fix an appointment with the management of public transport operators RapidKL and Syarikat Prasarana Bhd.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Selangor DAP headquarters in Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya, Lau said RapidKL “just poured cold water” on his request, by telling him to go through the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).

Lau is wondering why they are not respecting his office as an elected state assemblyman.

“Despite the increasing number of commuters and passengers, the public transport operators especially Prasarana has failed miserably to meet the demands of the passengers.


Given the cold shoulder: Lau holding up newspaper reports of the Prime Minister’s rides on the KTM Komuter and LRT recently.

“For the past one month, there are numerous reports of breakdowns on the two LRT systems, not to mention the many unexpected delays in bus services.

“I wonder what the MBPJ has to do with the breakdowns. Why does an elected representative has to turn to MBPJ to convey the message of the people to the management of RapidKL?” he asked.

Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh and Petaling Jaya councillor Tiew Way Keng were also present at the press conference.

Yeoh had called for a press conference about the cancellation of a bus route in Subang Jaya but was disappointed that there had been no official reply from RapidKL.

According to Yeoh, RapidKL had announced on Aug 11 that they will be revising their routes on Aug 23.

“They gave people only about 10 days’ notice. We are questioning the short notice given and why a route (T522 from USJ 8 to Subang Parade) has been cancelled without consulting the people,” she said.

Association for the Improvement of Mass Transit Klang Valley (Transit) adviser Moaz Yusuf Ahmad, a Subang Jaya resident himself, could not agree more with Yeoh.

“It’s unfair for RapidKL to make these decisions, we hope RapidKL can be more considerate to the people.

“It is generally assumed that public transport users are people from the lower-income group who have no other choice.

“There’s not much you can do if the driver doesn’t follow the route. If you complain, he will yell at you or he’ll say ‘if you don’t like it, buy a car’.

“It does not give a positive image of public transportation,” said the lecturer, who has written numerous articles about the public transport system in Malaysia.

He said by sacrificing these routes, people would be forced to drive and this would lead to more traffic congestion.

He added that RapidKL was not solely to blame for the public transport problems as other public transport companies share the same responsibility to provide good service to the public.

Referring to the Prime Minister taking rides on the LRT recently, Moaz suggested that the PM took the bus, too.

“If he wants to see how bad it is, he has to take the bus and wait for it. Then he will runderstand what public transport is like,” he said.

Lau said the first step to solve these problems on public transport was to have a meeting.

He hoped that he would not have to resort to sending a memorandum directly to RapidKL if they kept avoiding communication.

“A city without an efficient and reliable public transport system will not be a livable city,” he said.

Don't think of only making money, RapidKL urged
K. Harinderan


A RapidKL bus picking up passengers.

SUBANG JAYA: Bus company RapidKL has been urged to give some thought to the community and not only think about making money.


Subang Jaya state assemblyman Hannah Yeoh.
This was stated by Subang Jaya state assemblyman Hannah Yeoh after RapidKL cancelled the USJ8 -Subang Parade bus route.

"Public access and the mobility of people should always outweigh profitability for any public transport operators," she said.

"They said the service would only be terminated from Aug 21 but in actual fact, it was stopped much earlier," she said.


The operator, Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd, did not give any reason for cancelling the T522 route.

Lecturer Moaz Yusuf Ahmad, who stays in SS17, said: "The T522 line, which is a short haul route and costs RM1, has been replaced with other long haul bus routes. We now have to pay double to travel the same distance."

Moaz, who has been involved in public transportation research and urban planning for the last six years, added that the disruption would force people to drive, adding to the traffic congestion.

"I urge local councillors, government authorities and NGOs to be proactive in dealing with the matter," he said.

"A comprehensive public transportation system should be the operator's main focus and not profitability."

Yeoh said: "The provision for the handicapped is still not up to par and with the government's announcement recently where about 10,000 jobs were allocated for the disabled, how do they expect them to travel to these jobs?"

When contacted, RapidKL's communications division general manager Ebi Azly Abdullah said: "The routes in Subang Jaya were revised to cover a wider area and the eliminated route would be covered by other bus routes."

He added that the T522 buses would be deployed at other higher passenger traffic routes.

Two-hour wait for one-hour trip
Story and photos by STUART MICHAEL


ALTHOUGH it takes less than an hour for a bus trip from Batu Caves to Titiwangsa, the waiting time for a bus at the Taman Samudera bus stop in Batu Caves is nearly two hours.

The residents of Taman Samudera, who depend on the RapidKL bus service to go to work or school, have been suffering the inconvenience daily, especially in the afternoon, for the last five years.


Where’s the bus?: Selvaraju standing alone under a tree as he waits for the RapidKL bus.

Retiree K. Selvaraju, 64, who lives in Taman Samudera, uses the bus service four times a week to visit his friends in Petaling Jaya.

“As the cost of petrol is high and I have retired from work, it is too expensive for me to drive to Petaling Jaya as it will cost me nearly RM30 for the trip to and back,” he said.

“I am very frustrated that the bus is never on time. When the bus service first started, a bus used to come almost every 20 minutes.

“Now, we have to wait almost two hours for a bus,” Selvaraju said.

“I pity the working people and schoolchildren who use the bus service in the morning and evening.


No proper bus stand: The RapidKL bus waiting for passengers at a bus stop with only a tree as shade in Taman Samudera.

They have to wait for a long time for a bus,’’ he said.

Selvaraju said even a bus driver he talked to felt that there should be more buses assigned to ply the route.

He said there was also no proper bus stop opposite the Giant hypermarket in Taman Samudera and people had to wait under a tree.

“RapidKL should build a proper sheltered bus stop at the place,’’ Selvaraju said.

Retiree Abu Bakar Samat, 68, who used to work at Marks and Spencers in Britain, said he had been taking the bus daily for the last three years to go for his physiotherapy treatment at a clinic in Taman Sri Gombak.

“I bring along a newspaper to read because of the long wait.

“There is also no proper place to seat under the shade while waiting for the bus. Sometimes, I had to wait for about two hours before a bus comes along,” he said.

“There should be a proper bus stop and the bus must always be on time,’’ he said.


.....bus cantik but the quality is so bad....

51st Merdeka: Extended bus, LRT services



KUALA LUMPUR: Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd will extend its bus and light rail transit services on the eve of Merdeka Day.

In a statement yesterday, RapidKL said the bus and LRT services would operate until 3am and 2.30am, respectively on Sunday.

The bus services for the Kelana Jaya line covering Kelana Jaya, Taman Bahagia, Taman Paramount, Asia Jaya, Universiti, Kerinchi, Bangsar, Setiawangsa, Wangsa Maju and Taman Melati (Gombak) would end at between 3am and 3.20am.

The bus services for the Ampang Line covering Ampang, Cempaka, Pandan Indah, Bukit Jalil, Pandan Jaya, Maluri, Salak Selatan and Bandar Tasik Selatan will end at 3am.

Meanwhile, for the Kelana Jaya Line LRT, the Kelana Jaya, KL Sentral, Pasar Seni, Masjid Jamek and KLCC stations would operate until 2.30am.

The Bangsar, Dang Wangi, Kampung Baru and Ampang Park stations would be closed at 2am. Other stations will close at 12.45am.

For the Ampang Line LRT, the Hang Tuah, Masjid Jamek and Bandaraya stations will close at 2am. Other stations close at 12.45am. -- Bernama

RapidKL fare reminder



PETALING JAYA: Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (RapidKL) yesterday announced it would strictly enforce the policy of paying the exact change for bus fares.

General manager for communications Ebi Azly Abdullah said although notices were put up on all buses on the ruling for quite some time now, some passengers still gave RM10 notes for a trip that cost RM1.

"Our drivers are not equipped with cash to give them change. When this happens, the passenger scolds the driver and the situation becomes unpleasant."

It was imperative that passengers had small change before boarding buses, said Ebi Azly, adding that if passengers provided more than what was required, they would not be given return change.

The bus fare structure is as follows: Tempatan buses T222 (RM1), Utama buses U22 (RM2) and Bandar buses B111 (RM2). -- Bernama

ahhh...minibus....

RapidKL perkenal khidmat Bas Fajar

KUALA LUMPUR: Mulai Isnin ini, Rangkaian Pengangkutan Intergrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (RapidKL) akan melancarkan khidmat bas percubaan barunya yang dikenali sebagai khidmat Bas Fajar.

Pengurus Besar Komunikasinya, Ebi Azly Abdullah berkata, khidmat baru itu akan bermula seawal jam 5.10 pagi bagi sesetengah laluan untuk penumpang yang tidak mahu terjebak dalam kesesakan jalan raya.

Perkhidmatan ini akan dijalankan secara percubaan untuk meninjau permintaan penumpang dan ia akan menjadi perkhidmatan selama-lamanya jika sambutan menggalakkan daripada orang ramai.

Perkhidmatan baru ini termasuk laluan Nombor T301 dan T307 dari Telekom Malaysia (TM) Taman Melawati ke Giant Hulu Klang dan dari TM Taman Melawati ke Stesen LRT Datuk Keramat akan bertolak pada jam 5.10 pagi.

Sementara itu laluan no T330 (TM Taman Melawati-Stesen LRT Datuk Keramat), T302 (TM Taman Melawati-Seksyen 10, Wangsa Maju), T304 (SRKJ (T) Taman Melawati-hab bas Taman Melawati), T309 (TM Taman Melawati-hab bas AU3 Jentayu), T312 (Apartment Seri Putri, Ukay Perdana-Stesen LRT Wangsa Maju dan TM Taman Melawati-Stesen LRT Datuk Keramat) akan bertolak pada jam 5.15 pagi.

Bas terbabit akan bertolak pada jam 5.20 pagi di laluan no U40 (hub bas Maluri-Terminal Kajang) dan U80 (Balai Polis Batu 3, Shah Alam-hab bas Pasar Seni).

Laluan no T201 (Depot Bas Taman Melawati-Giant Hulu Klang) dan T320 (Emerald Hill, Jalan Bukit Indah Utama-Ampang Point), U1 and U10 (Cycle & Carriage, Jalan Perusahaan-Pinggiran Batu Caves) and U12 (Cycle & Carriage, Jalan Perusahaan-Batu 12, Jalan Gombak) akan berlepas pada jam 5.30 pagi.

Yang terakhir, U41 (PNMB, Jalan Chan Sow Lin-hab bas Pasar Seni) akan bertolak mulai jam 5.45 pagi dan T305 (Apartment Seri Putri, Ukay Perdana-Stesen LRT Wangsa Maju) akan bertolak pada jam 6 pagi.

Pengguna boleh menghubungi RapidKL di talian 03-76256999 atau layari www.rapidkl.com.my untuk pertanyaan atau memberikan maklum balas. — Bernama

Bus drivers ignoring the disabled
By YIP YOKE TENG


SOME Malaysians seem to have forgotten the term “caring society”, which was enthusiastically promoted by the Government a few years ago.

It is said that bus drivers are among those who have turned a blind eye towards the needy, just to avoid the hassle.

A disabled person who only wants to be known as Rebecca has much to share about this.

The 54-year-old, who is semi-paralysed and needs assistance to board the public bus, said she had been ignored by bus drivers many times.

The senior citizen, who is single and lives alone, strives to be independent but the public transportation has posed a difficult challenge.

“The RapidKL bus drivers refuse to take me, they just drive past as though they did not see me. This morning alone, three drivers ignored me,” said the woman from Sanpeng Flats, who visited The Star’s Kuala Lumpur office to highlight her plight.

“I have complained to the officers at the bus stations and they just nod but I there is no change in the situation,’’ she said.

Beautiful Gate director Pastor Sia Siew Chin said they used to receive similar complaints from the disabled community but such cases had decreased over the past few years.

However, she said that disabled persons had difficulty using public transport even though RapidKL had allocated 100 disabled-friendly buses.

“The buses wheelchair ramp is too short and steep for us to board the bus. The only way around it is if the ramp is placed on a raised platform, but our bus stops do not facilitate that,” she added.

She said the disabled community had brought the matter up on numerous occasions but could only see the bus operator and local council passing the problem among themselves.

RapidKL chief executive officer Suffian Baharuddin said the company had engaged NGOs and disabled groups in an effort to come out with ways to serve the community better.

He added that the company and the groups recognised the lack of barrier-free amenities and had urged the local authorities to take the necessary measures.

As for disabled-persons ignored by bus drivers, he said the company took the matter seriously but needed the necessary information, including plate number, time and location from the passengers to identify the irresponsible drivers.

Pemandu RapidKL suka marah?


PEMANDU bas tidak sewajarnya bertindak memarahi penumpang, apatah lagi warga emas semasa menyediakan perkhidmatan kepada orang ramai.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


KUALA LUMPUR – Masih ramai yang tidak berpuas hati dengan perkhidmatan bas disediakan oleh Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn. Bhd. (Rapid- KL) apabila rata-rata pengguna mendakwa mereka pernah diherdik serta dimarahi pemandu bas berkenaan walaupun hanya bertanyakan sesuatu.
Lebih menyakitkan hati, ada antara mereka pernah melihat pemandu bas tersebut memarahi golongan lebih tua kerana bertanyakan tentang destinasi yang ingin ditujuinya.

Bagi seorang pelajar kolej, Asyraf Ahmad, 18, berkata, kejadian seumpama itu tidak sepatutnya berlaku lebih-lebih lagi ke atas seorang tua berumur dalam lingkungan 50-an.

“Saya tidak faham kenapa pemandu ini nak marah kepada orang yang lebih tua kerana dia sepatutnya mengambil berat setiap penumpang dan memastikannya dapat menaiki bas dengan selamat.

“Bukannya dengan marah-marah apabila penumpang bertanyakan sesuatu,” katanya.

Asyraf menambah, pemandu bas terbabit perlu mengubah sikapnya dan perlu memberikan perkhidmatan terbaik supaya setiap penumpang yang mengguna- kan perkhidmatan bas RapidKL berpuas hati.

“Kadang-kadang kita faham, mereka terpaksa melayan pelbagai kerenah penumpang, tetapi jika nak marah setiap masa tidak mengenal tempat itu bukanlah satu perkara yang baik untuk imej syari- katnya,” jelas beliau.

Tinjauan Kosmo! di sekitar Pasar Seni dan Perhentian Bas Klang mendapati, keadaan sebaliknya pula berlaku apabila kebanyakan pemandu bas dilihat bersikap profesional semasa menjalankan tugas.

Sebelum ini, Kosmo! menerima aduan daripada penumpang RapidKL melalui ruangan khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) yang tidak berpuas hati dengan layanan seorang pemandu bas RapidKL di Pasar Seni kerana sesuka hati mengherdik dan memarahi penumpang.

Pandan Perdana residents unhappy with RapidKL bus service
By PRIYA MENON


THE residents of Pandan Perdana are not happy with the RapidKL bus services in their housing area. They have to wait more than an hour for the buses to arrive.

“The bus from the Jaya Jusco Maluri to Pandan Perdana never comes on schedule, it’s supposed to be between 15 minutes and half an hour.

“But, nowadays we find ourselves waiting for more than an hour,” said resident Aiman Sawari, 45.

Aiman said the bus drivers should be more considerate especially during the month of Ramadan when Muslims need to get back home in time to break fast.


One hour wait: Residents are hoping the buses would arrive sooner.

According to the residents there are four 327 buses that are supposed to make their rounds throughout the day in Pandan Perdana.

“The buses come on time in the mornings but what about in the evenings when everybody needs to get home?” asked Aiman.

Another resident, Ng See Ching, 60 said that a trip to the Pudu market takes three to four hours.

“We have to take two RapidKL buses, one from here to the Maluri station and from there we have to take another to Pudu, which costs RM3,”said Ng.

She was disappointed that there was no direct bus service to town that’s less time consuming. A ticket from Pandan Perdana to Maluri station costs RM1 and from Maluri to Pudu the fare is RM2.

“Why can’t they have more frequent buses to KL and charge us only RM2 for the entire journey?” Ng added.

Ng said that the population of Pandan Perdana has increased considerably because college students have moved into the area, so the bus services have to be frequent to cater for the people’s need.

Pandan Perdana Residents Asso-ciation president Lim Ah Chai said he had complained several times to RapidKL about the delay in buses however, the changes only lasted a couple of weeks.

“Our children who study near KL Plaza finish school at 12.30 but they only get home at 3.30 pm and most of the time the buses are so packed,” Lim said.

On another matter, Lim asked residents who own properties in the area to begin applying for their strata titles. “Developers who fail to issue strata titles have already been warned about facing legal action, so please apply soon,” he said.

RapidKL sedia khidmat bas 24 jam


PETALING JAYA: Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (RapidKL) menyediakan perkhidmatan bas perantara yang beroperasi 24 jam dari Hentian Puduraya ke terminal bas sementara di Bukit Jalil di sini, selama sebulan bermula 15 September lalu sempena Aidilfitri.

Pengurus Besar Komunikasi RapidKL, Ebi Azly Abdullah, berkata perkhidmatan bas perantara dengan tambang RM3 itu beroperasi selama 24 jam dengan kekerapan bas dijadualkan setiap 15 minit antara 6 pagi sehingga 12 tengah malam dan setiap satu jam selepas 12 tengah malam hingga 6 pagi keesokannya.

“Kami menyediakan perkhidmatan bas ini bagi memenuhi keperluan warga kota yang menggunakan pengangkutan awam dari terminal bas sementara Bukit Jalil untuk pulang ke kampung,” katanya dalam kenyataan di sini, semalam.

Laluan pergi bermula di Hentian Puduraya-Jalan Cheng Lock-Jalan Tun Sambanthan-Jalan Istana-Lebuhraya KL-Seremban-Lebuhraya Shah Alam-Bukit Jalil, manakala laluan balik dari Bukit Jalil-Lebuhraya KL Seremban-Jalan Sungai Besi-Jalan Loke Yew-Jalan Hang Tuah-Jalan Pudu-Hentian Puduraya.

Untuk keterangan lanjut, pengguna boleh melayari laman web www.rapidkl.com.my dan memberi maklum balas melalui [email protected] atau hubungi Helpline di talian 03-76256999 dari Isnin hingga Jumaat jam 8.30 pagi hingga 5.30 petang. - Bernama

Fewer buses




KUALA LUMPUR: Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (RapidKL) will reduce the frequency of its bus service until Oct 7.

The buses to government offices and institutions of higher learning will also not be in service. The routes are B115, T229, T423, T526, T527, T528, T603, T604, T605, T629, T618 and U83. -- Bernama

Tahun baru: RapidKL lanjut perkhidmatan

KUALA LUMPUR Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn. Bhd. (RapidKL) akan melanjutkan waktu perkhidmatan bas dan transit aliran ringan (LRT) sempena sambutan tahun baru pada Rabu ini.

Dalam kenyataan yang dikeluarkan di sini semalam, RapidKL memberitahu, perkhidmatan LRT Aliran Kelana Jaya akan dilanjutkan sehingga pukul 2.30 pagi bagi stesen Kelana Jaya, KL Sentral, Pasar Seni, Masjid Jamek dan KLCC.

Bagi stesen Bangsar, Dang Wangi, Kampung Baru dan Ampang Park, waktu perkhidmatan dilanjutkan sehingga pukul 2 pagi manakala bagi stesen-stesen lain waktu perkhidmatan adalah sehingga pukul 12.45 tengah malam.

Bagi LRT Aliran Ampang, stesen Bandaraya, Masjid Jamek dan Hang Tuah akan dilanjutkan sehingga pukul 2.30 pagi manakala stesen-stesen lain sehingga 12.45 tengah malam.

Perkhidmatan bas untuk beberapa laluan terpilih juga akan dilanjutkan antara pukul 12 tengah malam sehingga pukul 2 pagi hari berkenaan.

Laluan yang akan dilanjutkan sehingga pukul 2 pagi ialah T607, T622, T623, T624 (Kelana Jaya), T625, T626, T627, T628, T629, T631, T632, T633 dan T634 (Bangsar/Taman Bahagia/Taman Paramount/Kerinchi).

Turut dilanjutkan perkhidmatan sehingga 2 pagi ialah laluan T304 (Wangsa Maju), T226 dan T203 (Taman Melati/Gombak), T320, T324, T327, T329 dan T407 (Ampang/ Cempaka/Pandan Jaya/Maluri/Tasik Selatan).

Laluan T405 (Tasik Selatan) dilanjutkan sehingga pukul 1 pagi sementara Laluan T301, T302, T305 dan T309 (Setiawangsa/Wangsa Maju) serta T332, T323, T328, T433, T424 dan T418 (Ampang/Cempaka/Pandan Indah/Salak Selatan/Tasik Selatan/Bukit Jalil) dilanjutkan sehingga pukul 12 tengah malam sahaja.

RapidKL kerah 100 kakitangan tambahan

PETALING JAYA 30 Dis. - Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn. Bhd. (RapidKL) akan mengerahkan kira-kira 100 kakitangan tambahan di stesen-stesen transit aliran ringan (LRT) yang sibuk bagi memastikan kelancaran pergerakan orang ramai sempena sambutan tahun baru malam ini.

Pengurus Besar Komunikasinya, Ebi Azly Abdullah berkata, langkah itu merupakan amalan biasa RapidKL semasa sambutan sesuatu perayaan berikutan pertambahan mendadak jumlah penumpang.

Namun, katanya, sambutan tahun baru agak berbeza dan memerlukan jumlah kakitangan yang lebih ramai kerana penumpang akan menggunakan perkhidmatan LRT dalam masa yang hampir sama iaitu sebaik sahaja sambutan berakhir.

"Justeru, kita menggalakkan pengguna LRT supaya membeli tiket pergi balik kerana ia akan memudahkan mereka.

"Kita menjangkakan kumpulan besar penumpang akan tiba di stesen selepas pukul 12 tengah dan mereka akan menghadapi kesukaran untuk membeli tiket pada masa itu," katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini hari ini.

Beliau berkata, RapidKL juga sudah memasang papan tanda arah yang baru di stesen Masjid Jamek dan KLCC bagi memudahkan orang ramai menuju ke platform yang betul.

Katanya, kakitangan tambahan itu juga akan ditempatkan di kedua-dua stesen itu bagi kemudahan orang ramai mendapatkan maklumat mengenai tren.

Ebi Azly berkata, perkhidmatan LRT Aliran Kelana Jaya di stesen Masjid Jamek, KLCC, Pasar Seni, KL Sentral dan Kelana Jaya akan dilanjutkan sehingga pukul 2.30 pagi pada malam esok.

LRT Aliran Ampang untuk stesen Bandaraya, Masjid Jamek dan Hang Tuah, katanya, juga dilanjutkan sehingga waktu yang sama.

Dalam pada itu, waktu perkhidmatan bas di stesen-stesen LRT juga akan dilanjutkan bagi memastikan penumpang sampai ke destinasi masing-masing.

"Kita menjangka kira-kira 400,000 penumpang akan menggunakan kedua-duda perkhidmatan LRT pada malam esok.

"Walaupun kita sudah bersedia untuk menghadapi jumlah penumpang yang ramai itu, kerjasama daripada pengguna untuk menggunakan LRT dengan teratur sangat diperlukan.

"Bertolak-tolak hanya akan melambatkan pergerakan mereka. RapidKL menjanjikan semua penumpang akan tiba ke destinasi mereka," kata Ebi Azly.

Maklumat lanjut boleh diperoleh dengan menghubungi talian bantuan RapidKL di 03-76256999 (Isnin hingga Jumaat dari pukul 8.30 pagi hingga 5.30 petang) atau layari www.rapidkl.com.my.

Waktu khidmat LRT, bas dilanjut


PETALING JAYA: Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (RapidKL) akan melanjutkan masa perkhidmatan Sistem Transit Aliran Ringan (LRT) dan bas bagi beberapa stesen dan laluan bas terpilih pada Rabu ini sempena sambutan Tahun Baru 2009.

Dua aliran LRT yang terpilih ialah Aliran Kelana Jaya dengan masa perkhidmatan akan dilanjutkan sehingga jam 2.30 pagi membabitkan stesen Kelana Jaya, KL Sentral, Pasar Seni, Masjid Jamek dan KLCC.

Bagi stesen Bangsar, Dang Wangi, Kampung Baru dan Ampang Park, masa perkhidmatan akan dilanjutkan sehingga jam 2 pagi dan stesen lain sehingga 12.45 tengah malam.

“Aliran Ampang membabitkan stesen Bandaraya, Masjid Jamek dan Hang Tuah akan dilanjutkan masa perkhidmatan sehingga jam 2.30 pagi dan 12.45 tengah malam bagi stesen lain,” kata kenyataan itu.

Sementara itu, perkhidmatan bas RapidKL akan dilanjutkan dengan bas terakhir pada jam 2 pagi membabitkan stesen Kelana Jaya, Taman Bahagia, Taman Paramount, Asia Jaya, Universiti, Kerinchi, Bangsar, Wangsa Maju, Taman Melati dan Gombak di Aliran Kelana Jaya.

Turut terbabit ialah stesen Ampang, Cempaka, Pandan Jaya, Maluri, Tasik Selatan, Ampang, Cempaka, Pandan Indah, Salak Selatan, Tasik Selatan dan Bukit Jalil di bawah Aliran Ampang.

“Stesen Setiawangsa dan Wangsa Maju pula akan dilanjutkan masa perkhidmatan bas sehingga pukul 12 tengah malam serta bagi stesen Tasik Selatan bas terakhir pukul 1 pagi,” katanya.

Untuk keterangan lanjut, pengguna boleh melayari laman web www.rapidkl.com.my dan atau hubungi Helpline di talian 03-76256999. - Bernama

Revamp may see RapidKL coming under Prasarana
By Kang Siew LiPublished: 2009/01/02


RANGKAIAN Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd (RapidKL) is expected to undergo a major restructuring over the next few months that could see the loss-making public transport operator come under Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd, say sources.

They said the proposed restructuring is aimed at streamlining current administrative procedures between the two organisations, reducing duplication and overlapping of functions and cutting costs.

Under the current structure, RapidKL and Prasarana operate as separate companies, even though both are wholly-owned government companies under the Ministry of Finance Inc.

Prasarana is the asset owner of the two light rail transit (LRT) systems and bus services in the Klang Valley, while RapidKL operates them.

"As part of the proposed restructuring plan, the KL Monorail operations may be injected into RapidKL's network for the latter to run," a source told Business Times.

In December 2007, Prasarana took over the assets and operations of the KL Monorail System, which is currently being managed by KL StarRail Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prasarana.

Another source said the proposed restructuring will also likely result in Rapid Penang Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RapidKL and operator of Penang's bus service, being made a subsidiary of Prasarana.

Sources said the proposed restructuring will also involve the redeployment or redesignation among senior executives of both companies.

It is understood that Prasarana group managing director Datuk Idrose Mohamed will continue to head the company under the new organisational structure, while RapidKL chief executive offi-cer Suffian Baharuddin is expected to assume the role of execu-tive director.

"In addition, the restructuring may see an internal merger of some divisions including asset management and development, and strategic planning and communications," a source said.

RapidKL officials could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Prasarana owns the assets of two LRT lines namely the Ampang Line (formerly known as Star-LRT) and the Kelana Jaya Line (formerly Putra-LRT).

Apart from being the asset owners of the two LRT systems, Prasarana also supplied 1,055 new buses as of April last year to service routes within the Klang Valley and 150 buses in Penang.