Rapid KL Will Add 310 New Buses, Undertake Operational Alignment Of Major Routes

Rapid KL initiated an operational alignment on 35 of its routes, including MRT feeder bus routes, as part of a significant overhaul that included replacing aging buses. In the Klang Valley, Prasarana runs 264 routes; according to Bernama, this accounts for 13% of those.

Buses that have outlived their useful lives will eventually be phased out, as stated by Rapid Bus CEO Muhammad Yazurin Sallij. This alignment represents the company's commitment to enhance service quality.

The older buses are not as reliable, so the addition of these will, insha'Allah, improve Rapid Bus operations even more. "They break down and need to go back to the depot for repairs," he stated yesterday at the company's Cheras Selatan complex.

The overhaul, according to Yazurin, will also result in a two-to five-minute increase in bus frequency on these routes, the majority of which are major. This is because 60 Volvo B7RLE buses that have outlived their maximum operational lifespan will be replaced by 310 new diesel buses that will go into service by the end of the year. As part of the alignment, bus captains will also receive training.

“Our bus captains undergo an additional three months of customer service and safety measures training, aimed at prioritising customer service and safety,” Yazurin said. “Improvements are an ongoing process. For example, the number of complaints about our bus captains has significantly decreased by half compared to two years ago…We believe that the customer journey and experience are crucial.”

In order to minimize the impact on passengers, Rapid Bus has accelerated the implementation of several action plans. These actions include the addition of 164 buses from outside companies, partnerships with independent bus operators to meet daily demand, and the operation of an additional 20 transit vans.