New route to higher fares and longer waits

ON Feb 2, RapidKL indirectly increased the bus fare on the Damansara and Old Klang Road corridors through a route restructuring exercise. One would expect a route restructuring exercise to result in better services for the passengers but not this one.

I take the bus to work from OUG to Mid Valley. Before the restructuring of the route, I used to pay RM1.50 with the Touch ‘n Go card for a one-way trip.

At the end of January, fliers were pasted in the buses to inform passenger of the restructuring exercise. No official announcements were made in the newspapers or disseminated at the Pasar Seni bus hub. The announcement was only made on the RapidKL website.

I now have to use Bus 651 which will only take me from OUG to Pearl Point instead of directly to Mid Valley. The fare is RM0.80 using the Touch ‘n Go card. From Pearl Point, I have to take another bus (600 or 640) to Mid Valley. This costs RM1.50, resulting in a total fare of RM2.30 for my journey to work. This is an increase of RM0.80 per journey or RM1.60 per day for a two-way trip.

The fare has actually increased for many commuters after the restructuring.

Apparently, this “new” route was previously introduced in 2006 but it did not take off. Having failed once, why has RapidKL implemented it again?

To quote RapidKL’s posting on its website, “The exercise will improve service quality, cover more areas and stimulate higher patronage.”

Speaking on behalf of those who, like me, are inconvenienced by the new route, we are not sure how this exercise will improve service quality because we have to pay more for the fare, and time waiting for the bus and travelling is longer. I used to take Bus U73 (now 651) directly to work.

I can buy the MyRapid50 to save on the fare but it’s the waiting and travelling time that is the problem.

If the buses do not come on time, people will look for alternative transport, so I don’t see how the restructuring can stimulate higher patronage. I also don’t think it will cover more areas, as it has only shortened many routes, forcing passengers to take another bus for the same journey.

RapidKL also claimed that there are timetables for the routes, but after trying it out for a few days, I know the bus drivers do not follow the schedule. At one time, I had to wait one hour for Bus 651. When I posted the question on why the bus drivers did not follow the timetable on the RapidKL website, there was no answer to my query.

Bus 600 and 640 are always packed during peak hours by the time they reach Pearl Point. If the bus is packed, we have to wait for the next one. This increases the waiting time. I pity those who are further up the road because there is no way the bus can pack in more people by the time it gets to them.

I have written to RapidKL to ask how the restructuring would benefit passengers and why the fare was increased but I have yet to receive a reply.

Could the Transport Ministry explain if this is the way forward for public transport, please? There should be improvement but this restructuring exercise is a clear case of going backwards because it has led to higher fares and a longer travelling time. The Transport Minister should try out the RapidKL bus service and let us know how he rates it.