Rapid KL has announced that it will be conducting pilot testing for fixed-route feeder buses for three months. This is set to start at the end of the week, or more specifically, on 24 October. The public transport network said that this is aimed at strengthening public transport connectivity, and that the initiative supports the government’s aspiration to increase public transport ridership through a more integrated, accessible, and sustainable mobility system.
For the duration of the pilot, passengers will be charged a fare of RM1 per trip, payment for which can be made using debit and credit cards, as well as Touch ‘n Go cards. Holders of MyRapid Concession Cards can get a 50% discount on the fare, while Rapid Mesra pass holders don’t get charged at all. These vans will have a frequency of between 15 and 20 minutes, and passengers can board these vans at designated stations and stops without needing to book them via the Rapid On-Demand app.
That being said, two Rapid KL On Demand service zones will be suspended for the duration of the pilot’s first phase. The first of these is the T400B zone, which connects Bandar Tun Razak to Taman Midah, linking the Bandar Tun Razak station on the Sri Petaling Line and the Taman Midah station on the Kajang Line. Then there’s the T512B service zone, which runs from Precinct 11 to Putrajaya Sentral, connecting the Putrajaya Sentral station to both the Putrajaya Line and the KLIA Transit (ERL) service.
Syahrul Azmir Ahmad Zaki, CEO of Rapid Bus, said that this is part of Rapid KL’s ongoing efforts to increase public transport ridership. “Through this pilot project, Rapid KL will evaluate an operational model based on fixed routes and schedules to enhance first- and last-mile connectivity, thereby improving community access to nearby rail stations”, he said. “Findings gathered throughout the implementation period will serve as a reference for considering future service improvements”.
