Wikipedia

Rapid Bus

This article is about bus transport operator of Kuala Lumpur. For Kuala Lumpur's bus system, see Rapid KL. For Kuala Lumpur's public transport system, see Public transport in the Klang Valley.
Not to be confused with RapidBus (TransLink) or Rapibus.

Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd is the largest bus operator in Malaysia operating mainly in urban areas of Klang Valley, Penang & Kuantan. As of February 2023, Rapid KL service brands unit of Rapid Bus, has operates 113 normal routes and also 69 MRT Feeder Bus routes, along with 8 Nadiputra routes in Putrajaya. [1]

Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd
Company typePrivate Limited
IndustryPublic Transport Operator
FoundedJanuary 2006
Headquarters
Lot 1499, Jalan KB 2/15 Balakong, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
Area served
Klang Valley, Penang & Kuantan
Key people
Muhammad Yazurin Sallij Muhammad Yasin (Chief Executive Officer)
ServicesBus service
ParentPrasarana Malaysia
Websitewww.myrapid.com.my
ParentPrasarana Malaysia
HeadquartersKuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Routes113 + 69 (MRT Feeder Bus) + 8 (Nadi Putra)
WebsiteRapid Bus
Rapid KL Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMC parked at Cheras Selatan depot.
Rapid KL BYD K9 battery-run electric bus for BRT Sunway Line

Rapid Bus routes were previously operated by Intrakota Komposit Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of DRB-Hicom Berhad; and Cityliner Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Park May Berhad. When it took over, there were 179 routes. Since January 2006, Rapid KL has redrawn the entire network.

Rapid Bus is however not the only bus operator in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley. Other bus operators such as Selangor Omnibus, MARA Liner and Causeway Link also serve the Klang Valley.

History

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In October 2003, Prasarana Malaysia Berhad bought over Intrakota Komposit and its subsidiaries from DRB-Hicom for RM177mil. It also paid RM14mil cash for the 364 buses belonging to Cityliner. The original companies were appointed interim operators.

Rapid Bus began the first phase of the revamp of its bus network in January 2006 by introducing 15 City Shuttle bus routes which serve major areas in the central business district of Kuala Lumpur. The buses run between four hubs at the edge of the central business district, namely KL Sentral, Titiwangsa, KLCC and Maluri, and Medan Pasar in the city centre. These bus hubs also serve as rail interchanges, with the exception of Medan Pasar, although it is at a walking distance from Masjid Jamek LRT station.

In March 2006, Rapid Bus revamped the bus network serving Kepong, Selayang, Gombak, Batu Caves, Bandar Sri Damansara and Bandar Manjalara areas which it called Area 2. The areas are now service by four Trunk Routes and 35 Local Shuttle routes when fully implemented. The four trunk routes all begin from the Titiwangsa hub where passengers can change to City Shuttles. At the other end, the trunk routes serve regional hubs where Local Shuttles fan out into the residential suburbs.

On 30 April 2006, the bus network in Area 3 covering Setapak, Ulu Kelang, Wangsa Maju, Keramat, Ampang and Pandan was revamped. Three trunk bus routes serve this area, one from Titiwangsa and two from KLCC while 26 local shuttle routes complete the network for this area.

On 1 July 2006, two express services, four trunk lines and 32 local services were introduced in Area 4. It covers areas including Cheras, Serdang, Kajang, Balakong, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and Bandar Baru Bangi.

On 23 September 2006, Rapid Bus' revamp of the Klang Valley's bus network became complete with the introduction of new routes in Area Five which covers Subang Jaya, USJ, Puchong, and Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang south of the Federal Highway; and Area Six which covers Damansara, Bandar Utama, Kota Damansara and areas of Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang north of the Federal Highway.

On 21 April 2007, sixteen months after the first step of the first revamp, a second major revamp was undertaken on the entire bus network on grounds of feedback from commuters who wanted the buses to ferry them from their housing estates direct to the city centre, that is with less or without much need to change buses in the middle of their journey.[2]

This revamp saw the routes being adjusted (e.g. B112 [Maluri — KL Sentral], formerly 112, now passes by Jalan Hang Tuah/Pudu/Tun Tan Cheng Lock instead of Jalan Maharajalela/Sultan Sulaiman), extended (T40 [Kajang — Maluri], is now U40 and is extended to Pasar Seni LRT), merged (T41 [Serdang Komuter — Maluri] and 414 [Serdang — Bandar Sungai Long] become U41 [Pasar Seni LRT — Bandar Sungai Long]) or discontinued (route 107 ceased operations on that date).

On 1 December 2015, a third revamp, known as The Bus Network Revamp (BNR) was carried out by SPAD to improve urban public transport in Greater Kuala Lumpur/ Klang Valley. This procedure has caused RapidKL to surrender most of its bus routes to other bus providers such as Causeway Link, Selangor Omnibus, Setara Jaya and Nadi Putra, and also changes to the route numbers.

On 18 June 2020, Rapid Bus released new features on real time locations of bus in Google Maps, via collaboration with Google Transit.[3][4][5][6] Almost 170 RapidKL's bus routes are covered with this real time feature, and were expanded to MRT feeder bus service, Rapid Penang, and Rapid Kuantan.

On 2023, Rapid KL take over the bus service operator from Pengangkutan Awam Putrajaya Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd in Putrajaya.

Services

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Current services

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Former services

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Using Rapid Bus in Rapid KL brands

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Nomenclature (Before BNR): 2006–2015

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Rapid Bus operates four types of bus services: City Shuttles (Malay: Perkhidmatan bandar), Trunk Buses (Perkhidmatan utama), Local Shuttles (Perkhidmatan tempatan) and point-to-point Express buses (Perkhidmatan ekspres).

City Shuttles have red destination boards, trunk buses have blue boards, local shuttles have green boards and express services have orange boards.

Rapid Bus has also divided up the Klang Valley into six areas:

  • Area One : Kuala Lumpur City Centre (Central Business District)
  • Area Two : Kepong, Segambut, Selayang, Batu Caves, Gombak, Jalan Ipoh and Sentul
  • Area Three : Setapak, Wangsa Maju, Ulu Klang, Setiawangsa, Keramat, Ampang and Pandan
  • Area Four : Cheras, Kajang, Ulu Langat, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, Semenyih, Sungai Besi, Seri Kembangan, Serdang and Balakong
  • Area Five : Klang, Shah Alam Selatan, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Jalan Klang Lama and Puchong
  • Area Six : Shah Alam Utara, Subang, Damansara, Petaling Jaya Utara, Bangsar and Kota Damansara

Route numbers for the local shuttle are prefixed by the letter T (for Tempatan), e.g. T323. Route numbers for the express services are prefixed by the letter E (for Ekspres), e.g. E11A.

There was a prefix for trunk shuttles which is U (for Utama) e.g. U410 and for city shuttles which is B (for Bandar), e.g. B114. Later all the prefix were demolished due to the revamping of the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) except the local shuttle T (Tempatan) services.

The Bus Network Revamp (BNR): 2015–present

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The Ampang Corridor, Cheras Corridor, Sungai Besi Corridor, Klang Lama Corridor, Lebuhraya Persekutuan Corridor, Damansara Corridor, Jalan Ipoh Corridor, and Jalan Pahang Corridor were revamped under the Bus Network Revamp reorganization.

The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has divided up the Klang Valley into 8 stage bus corridors:

  • Jalan Ipoh Corridor
  • Jalan Pahang Corridor
  • Ampang Corridor
  • Cheras Corridor
  • Sungai Besi Corridor
  • Klang Lama Corridor
  • Lebuhraya Persekutuan Corridor
  • Damansara Corridor

The Bus Network Revamp has been implemented by Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) as of 1 December 2015.

Bus routes

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See also: List of bus routes in Greater Kuala Lumpur

Former bus routes served by Rapid Bus before BNR

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Before the implementation of the Bus Network Revamp (BNR) by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), these are the former routes being served by Rapid Bus.

Previous route number Destination New route number under BNR
U3 Bandar Baru Selayang – Medan Pasar Rapid KL (Route 151)
Previously served by Setara Jaya (December 2015 – 2022) and MARA Liner (2022 - January 2023)
U4 Desa Aman Puri – Medan Pasar Selangor Omnibus (Route 104)
U5 Taman Melati LRT station – Lebuh Amapng Not in service (replaced with route T203 by Rapid Bus; towards Danau Kota / Jalan Genting Klang)
U8 Damansara Damai – Medan Pasar Selangor Omibus (Route 103)
U11 Taman Sri Sinar – Medan Pasar Selangor Omnibus (Route 121)
Previously served by Setara Jaya (December 2015 – March 2016) and Causeway Link (March 2016 – July 2017)
U13 Taman Ehsan – Medan Pasar Selangor Omnibus (Route 120)
Previously served by Setara Jaya (December 2015 – March 2016) and Causeway Link (March 2016 – July 2017)
U21 Ukay Perdana – Chow Kit Not in service (replaced with route T222 by Rapid Bus; towards Sri Rampai LRT station)
U22 Sri Nilam – Lebuh Ampang Not in service (replaced with route 300 by Rapid Bus)
U25 Seksyen 10, Wangsa Maju – Lebuh Ampang Leng Seng and Rapid Bus (Route 251/252)
U42 Putrajaya Sentral – Serdang railway station Not in service (replaced with route T 523 by KR Travel & Tours)
Previously served by Nadi Putra (December 2015 - March 2020) and KR Travel & Tours (June 2020 - May 2022)
U69 Putra Perdana – Pasar Seni Causeway Link (Route 601)
Previously served by Metrobus (December 2015 – October 2016)
U75A Pantai Dalam Komuter station – Pasar Seni Not in service
U83 KL Sentral – Solaris Dutamas via Bukit Damansara Rapid Bus (Route 850)
No longer in service as of 1 December 2017, replaced with Route 852, starting from Titiwangsa
U84 Kelana Park View – Pasar Seni Not in service
U85 Taman Paramount LRT station – Pasar Seni Not in service (replaced with route T790 by Rapid Bus; towards Mid Valley Megamall)
U91 Klang – Pasar Seni Not in service (replaced with routes 700 by Seranas, KKBB and 708 by Rapid Bus)
700: Klang – Pasar Seni
708: Klang – Sunway Pyramid via Shah Alam
U209 Taman Selayang Utama – Medan Pasar MARA Liner (Route 152)
Previously served by Setara Jaya (December 2015 – 2022)
U222 Jinjang Utara – Medan Pasar Selangor Omnibus (Route 120)
Previously served by Setara Jaya (December 2015 – March 2016) and Causeway Link (March 2016 – July 2017)
T229 Metro Prima Kepong – Bandar Baru Selayang Rapid KL MRT (Route T114)
U429 Putrajaya Sentral – Cyberjaya Currently not in service
Previously served by Nadi Putra (December 2015 - March 2020) and Kumpool (from August 2022 onwards)
E1 Putrajaya Sentral – Pasar Seni Not in service (replaced with route T 523 by KR Travel & Tours)
Previously served by Nadi Putra (December 2015 - March 2020) and KR Travel & Tours (June 2020 - May 2022)
T515 Puchong Utama – Pulau Meranti Causeway Link (Route 608); from IOI Puchong Jaya LRT station
Previously served by Metrobus (December 2015 – January 2016) and Nadi Putra (January 2016 – October 2017)

Trial bus services

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As part to expand the public transport connectivity and improve service efficiency, several new bus routes by Rapid KL were introduced with a limited trial run period. This is used to gather and identify the ridership of the underserved areas before the route will become permanent once the ridership target is reached.

Trial route number Destination Trial Period Status Notes
T792 USJ 7 LRT station - Pangsapuri SS19 15 October 2019 - 15 January 2020 Discontinued First LRT feeder bus service branded with blue-white. Replaced with DRT service from Kummmute
T252 Wangsa Maju LRT station - PPR Sg Bonus 16 November 2020 - 16 March 2021 Discontinued Van service.
E250 Wangsa Maju LRT station - Lebuh Ampang 15 February 2020 - 1 April 2021 Discontinued Express service with limited stops, parallel with route 250. Available only during peak hours on weekdays.
E300 Hab Sri Nilam - Lebuh Ampang 15 February 2020 - 1 April 2021 Discontinued Express service with limited stops, parallel with route 300. Available only during peak hours on weekdays.
E600 Terminal Puchong Utama - Pasar Seni 15 February 2020 - 1 April 2021 Discontinued Express service with limited stops, parallel with route 600. Available only during peak hours on weekdays.
CH01 Gombak LRT station - National Zoo of Malaysia 1 February 2022 - 30 April 2022 Discontinued City Hop service. Serves KL East Mall, Melawati Mall and Zoo Negara.
CH02 Pasar Seni station - Perdana Botanical Gardens 1 February 2022 - 30 April 2022 Discontinued City Hop service. Serves National Mosque, Butterfly Park and Bird Park.
T776B USJ 7 LRT station - Apartment Angsana 1 February 2022 - 29 July 2022 Discontinued Alternative service of route T776 with limited stops.
T581B PPR Pinggiran Bukit Jalil - Alam Sutera LRT station 1 February 2022 - 29 July 2022 Discontinued Alternative service of route T581 with limited stops.
DS01 Ampang LRT station - KLCC via AKLEH 16 May 2022 - 17 April 2023 Permanent Service Express service between Ampang and KLCC. Available only during peak hours on weekdays.
T513 Putrajaya Sentral MRT station - Ministry of Transport 6 June 2023 - 31 July 2023 Discontinued Express service to Presint 4. Available only during peak hours on weekdays. Original deadline is until 5 September 2023.
451 Kajang MRT station - Putrajaya Sentral MRT station 3 July 2023 - 30 March 2025 Ongoing Direct limited stop bus service between Kajang, Bandar Baru Bangi and Putrajaya.

Formerly operated by Smart Selangor bus route KJ04 where it used to serve between Kajang and Putrajaya until the service amendment in 2022. Currently this bus service has only one trip available on weekdays: 6.30 am from Kajang and 5.00 pm from Putrajaya due to focus on workers in Putrajaya but living in Kajang or Bangi. As there are no direct public transport access between Kajang and Putrajaya other than bus route 451 which is not available other than stated schedule, passengers must use rail services (such as riding MRT or KTM) for alternative travel options between Kajang and Putrajaya which is only possible by going northwards (to Kuala Lumpur) first then going back southwards (to Kajang or Putrajaya). The service has extended for 18 months from the original deadline which is 30 September 2023.

T545 Putra Permai MRT station - Terminal Puchong Utama via Puchong Perdana LRT station 25 September 2023 - 26 March 2025 Ongoing Provides bus connection between MRT Putrajaya line with LRT Sri Petaling line without leaving Selangor state.
T569 Serdang Jaya MRT station - Batu 11 Cheras MRT station 25 September 2023 - 25 September 2024 Permanent Service Provides bus connection between MRT Putrajaya line with MRT Kajang line without leaving Selangor state.
T152 Metro Prima MRT station - Pusat Bandar Selayang 23 October 2023 - 24 September 2024 Permanent Service Provides bus service for nearby community in Selayang. The bus service also extended to Taman Intan Baiduri from 1 February 2024.
T121 Sri Delima MRT station - Taman Wahyu 15 December 2023 - 15 September 2024 Permanent Service Provides bus service for nearby community in Taman Wahyu.
T154 Sungai Buloh MRT station - Kuang 15 December 2023 - 16 March 2025 Ongoing Provides bus service for community in Kundang and Kuang as well the Gamuda Luge Gardens where the famous Skyline Luge was located. The service has extended for 12 months from the original deadline which is 16 March 2024.
T155 Sungai Buloh MRT station - Kota Puteri 29 December 2023 - 30 March 2025 Ongoing Provides bus service for community in Desa Coalfields and Kota Puteri. The service has extended for 12 months from the original deadline which is 28 March 2024.
T465 Stadium Kajang MRT station - Jade Hills 1 November 2024 - 31 January 2025 Ongoing Provides bus service for community in Kg. Bukit Angkat and Jade Hills.

Using the service

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Rapid Bus new bus system expects users to hop on more than one bus to complete a journey. This is unlike the previous Rapid Bus bus system and that still in use by other bus operators in the Klang Valley, where most bus services begin in the suburbs, follow a trunk route to the city, then perform a sweep in the city centre before terminating.

Instead, Rapid Bus users are expected to use a combination of its four types of services to complete journeys. Local Shuttles take users in the suburbs to hubs, usually bus terminals or LRT stations, where users transfer to LRTs or trunk buses to continue their journeys to the city or elsewhere in the Klang Valley. The city centre is served exclusively by GoKL City Bus.

Fares

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Effective 1 September 2009, all Rapid Bus buses will be issued a single journey tickets for their city shuttle (BANDAR), local shuttle (TEMPATAN) & express (EKSPRES) bus routes which replaced the daily unlimited ride tickets. As for trunk shuttle (UTAMA) bus route, the tickets will be issued based on the number of zones covered. For example, if a person travels across three zones on the trunk shuttle (UTAMA) bus route, the bus fare is RM 2.50 for single journey. The ticket must be kept while on board for inspection by RapidKL officials failure of which the ticket must be purchased again if the ticket is lost while on board during the inspection.

Spouse and a total of 4 youngsters under 15 years old are allowed to accompany the pass holder free on weekends and public holidays.

Effective 10 April 2019, all RapidKL buses is implementing full cashless journey for all routes by stages, in which the bus only accepts Touch n Go card only for user convenience. The systems were fully implemented by 27 May 2019.[8]

The fares for each zone per single journey is as follows

Zones travelled (RM)
Zones 1 2 3 4/BET
Adults 1.00 1.90 2.50 3.00
Concessions 0.50 0.90 1.20 1.50

There's also several travel pass were available, such as MyCity Pass which provides short-term daily unlimited journey (bus and rail) for Malaysians and non-Malaysians, while My50 (formerly known as My100 in 2019 - My50 in 2019 for bus services only, then My30 in 2020 & 2021) provides monthly unlimited journey for Malaysian citizens only.

Schedules

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Detailed schedules of bus services are not published, although headway information and operating hours is publicly available.

Headway:

  • City Shuttle: 10 to 20 minutes
  • Trunk Line (UTAMA): 15 to 30 minutes
  • Local Shuttle (TEMPATAN): 30 to 75 minutes

There are scheduled services that are not subject to the above headways.

Rapid DRT

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Rapid DRT vans at Taman Paramount station

The Rapid Bus demand-responsive transit (DRT) service was first introduced as the proof-of-concept service in Wangsa Maju through route T250 from 3 October 2022 to 5 February 2023, followed by Alam Megah through route T757 from 13 February 2023 (now become permanent DRT service replaced the feeder bus service) and Universiti Malaya through route T789 from 15 May 2023 to 14 August 2023.

As of August 2024 where the DRT proof-of-concept service were successful, there are 10 DRT services in operation (9 RapidKL DRT, 1 RapidPenang DRT), with most of the DRT routes replacing the respective feeder bus services. Passengers can book the DRT service through the Kumpool, Mobi or Trek Rides app with flexible timing and more selection of stops.[9] The Rapid DRT services will be expanding to areas without RapidKL bus and rail services as well Seberang Perai area in Penang.[10]

Rapid KL DRT routes
DRT Route Number Destination App
T203 Taman Melati LRT station - Danau Kota Trek Rides
T221 Sri Rampai LRT station - Giant Ulu Kelang Kummute - Ride-pooling app
T582 Sri Petaling LRT station - Bandar Sri Petaling Trek Rides
T757 Alam Megah LRT station - Seksyen 27, Shah Alam Kummute - Ride-pooling app
T774 Glenmarie LRT station - MSU, Stadium Shah Alam Mobi - Community Mobility
T778 USJ21 LRT station - One City USJ Mobi - Community Mobility
T783 Taman Bahagia LRT station - SS6 Kummute - Ride-pooling app
T785 Taman Paramount LRT station - Kampung Baiduri Kummute - Ride-pooling app
T786 Asia Jaya LRT station - Phileo Damansara MRT station Mobi - Community Mobility
Rapid Penang DRT routes
DRT Route Number Destination App
T210 Farlim - Ayer Itam Kumpool

RapidBET – Rapid Bus Express Transit service

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In 2010, SPAD introduced the express transit system in Klang Valley, namely BET, where the buses utilize less congested highways to link between heavily populated areas and city centers in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Penang. Naturally, by using the highways, travel time is reduced as the highways are less congested than the normal routes. The service will have limited stops and rely on feeder buses and park-n-ride facilities to ensure sufficient ridership. With BET, travel time is expected to be reduced by up to 50 percent on certain BETs.

During the introduction of these services, there are 6 routes managed by Rapid KL, and these services are only available on weekdays and during the morning and evening rush hours only. For this initial introductory stage, BET will run at 15 minute intervals during the morning and evening peak hours. Frequency and service periods will be increased at a later stage depending on the demand for each route.

Buses for BET routes are about two to five buses initially and will be reviewed from time to time as the demand grows. BET is more of an enhancement to the current services, whereby the focus is more to shorten the travel time. Fare for single journey on RapidKL is RM3 for adults and RM1.50 for concession, at flat rate.

 
Double deck bus on BET7 Sri Nilam-Lebuh Ampang in the morning rush hour at Renaissance Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. This route is the most heavily used than any other BET services.

As the rail system has been extended, most of the BET ridership has declined, resulting in termination of the most BET routes inside Kuala Lumpur district area. The last BET inside Kuala Lumpur district area is the BET7, from Sri Nilam at Bandar Baru Ampang, parallel to 300 service until LRT Ampang, then bypass through Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH) until Jalan Tun Razak interchange, then re-merge on 300 at Ampang Park LRT station before terminating at Munshi Abullah bus hub. This route is the most heavily used than any other BET's, and the bus only runs on morning rush hour, 4 trips daily. The fleet used is the Alexander Dennis Enviro500 and Volvo B8L double-decker bus.

As of May 2021, the service has been suspended due to Malaysia's total lockdown. Rapid KL has since discontinued the BET7 service and replaced with the new DS01 direct service.

 
Alexander Dennis Enviro500
 
Volvo B8L

Gombak District-Putrajaya BET Routes

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King Long XMQ6121G on BET17 service at Greenwood terminal.

These two BET services serve the Putrajaya Presint 2 central district for government employees between Selayang, Batu Caves, Melawati and Putrajaya are the only BET route that bypassed Kuala Lumpur district area, and the only BET service operated by Rapid KL. The bus runs 4 trips daily per route, 2 morning trips to Putrajaya and 2 return evening trips. The buses consist of five specially modified King Long XMQ6121G, of which the transverse seatings were displaced from the former Mercedes Benz CBC1725 buses.

 
The former Mercedes Benz seats were reused in selected King Long buses for long-haul service comfort.
 
King Long XMQ6121G on BET16 service at Warta Lama bus stop.

Penang express service

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  • 401E – Pengkalan Weld, Penang – Queensbay Mall – Bayan Baru – Bayan Lepas International Airport – Balik Pulau via Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu Expressway (normal service as 401)

Skip-Stop-Xpress bus service

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On 16 May 2022, a new pilot programme called Skip-Stop-Xpress service are being introduced, on which the service focused on point-to-point, non-stop service in between. The bus runs on weekday morning and evening rush hour with a frequency of 30 minutes to 1 hour per bus. The first route, DS01 were the first to put on trial, starts from LRT Ampang until KLCC bus terminal with one stop at Ampang Park, similar to BET7 bus service.[11] The trial proved successful, and the service were put on permanent service on 17 April 2023 with a fare of RM1.10, replacing the BET7 service.[12]

Discontinued

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Below were discontinued routes due to several reasons, such as ineffective route or low demand. This low demand were due to the MRT or LRT services already served the area.

Limited-stop service

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Three routes has been chosen by Rapid KL for the limited stop trial service on 15 February 2021 until 1 April 2021.[13] The service, parallel to the existing route, skips some stops along the way and only stops at major stops with high riderships. Until the end of trial, Rapid KL has decided to discontinue the service due to confusion with passengers and bus shortage.

Bas Wanita – Bus for ladies only

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In early December 2010, RapidKL introduced the very first 'Bas Wanita' services in Malaysia, which a bus will serve exclusively for ladies passengers only during morning and evening rush hours. Like KTM Komuter's Ladies Coach, this service is intended to avoid sexual harassment on the fully loaded normal buses during rush hours.[14] 7 routes were put on trial with addition 8 routes after successful trial, with addition of letter prefix 'W' at the end of route number to distinguish with normal services (e.g. U6W, U80W). Special stickers and signage were placed to make the services more visible. This services were proved successful, but it was later discontinued due to bus shortage.

RapidPenang Intercity

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On 2 August 2015, RapidPenang introduced the very first intercity route from Penang Sentral to Sungai Petani and Parit Buntar. This route uses Scania K250UB (previously Alexander Dennis Enviro500), and the frequency is one hour per bus.

Minibus trial

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RapidKL Hino XZU midibus leased from Kiffah (right, T300) and Selangor Omnibus (left, T304).

In September 2019, Rapid KL re-introduced the minibus service to improve first-mile connectivity, especially for sharper and narrower routes.[15] T300 is the first trial route to operate minibus service, using SKSBus E98 Midi-bodied Hino XZU high entry midibus leased from Kiffah Travel and Tours for 3 months. Later on 15 September 2019, another route, T304 were put on trial, using Pioneer-bodied Hino XZU high entry midibus leased from Selangor Omnibus for 3 months.[16] One of the fleet were equipped with wheelchair hydraulic lift for wheelchair access.

 
Hino Poncho test bus on route T784 at Damansara Utama. This is the shortest minibus on any other fleet used.

On 20 October 2019, Rapid KL put another bus on trial using newly imported Hino Poncho minibus leased from Hino Motors Malaysia, which served the T784 service for 3 months.[17] This bus later transferred to Batu Caves for another trial on T201 service.

On 16 November 2020, another trials were implemented, using 2 Toyota Hiace and 1 Hyundai Starex vans on newly-created route T252 for 4 months.[18]

All leased fleets were returned after trials were ended, however on 11 October 2021, Rapid KL resumed the Hino Poncho minibus trials on 302 service, later expanded the trials to Rapid Penang on 15 October 2021 on route 11. Rapid KL then resumed the trial on T851 parliament service from 20 February until 27 June 2023, on which the buses sent back to Hino Motors Malaysia after trial ended.

Bus Fleet

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As of June 2014, the Rapid Bus fleet consists of 1,400 vehicles.[19]

Double decker buses

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Double-deck buses

Single deck buses

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Single-deck buses

Decommissioned

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A bunch of decommissioned buses were left abandoned at Sentul Depot
  • MAN SL 252 (previously used by Intrakota from 1994, decommissioned in 2007)
  • Iveco Turbocity 480 (previously used by Intrakota from 1994, decommissioned in 2012)
  • Mercedes Benz OH1318 (previously used by CityLiner Park May in the 90's, decommissioned in 2007)
  • Dennis Dart (previously used by Putraline feeder bus in 1998, decommissioned in 2007)
  • Dongfeng DHZ6120RC2 (decommissioned in 2019, part of RapidKL fleet were sold to Setara Jaya and Kiffah Travel and Tours)
  • Anyuan JXK6120 (decommissioned in 2019)
  • King Long XMQ6122 (decommissioned in 2017, part of the fleet were sold to Setara Jaya)
  • Higer KLQ6118 (decommissioned in 2015, preserved by RapidMobiliti)
  • Higer KLQ6121G (decommissioned in 2020)
  • JAC (part of RapidPenang minibus fleet, decommissioned in 2010)
  • Sheng Long (caught on fire in Melawati depot)
  • Hino XZU (leased from Selangor Omnibus and Kiffah Travel and Tours, end of trial contract)
  • Mercedes-Benz CBC1725 Master Builders/SKS body (decommissioned in 2021, currently in mothballing condition)
  • Hyundai Starex MPV (end of trial contract)
  • Hino Poncho 2DG-HX9JHCE (leased from Hino Motors on 2019, end of trial contract in 2023)
  • Volvo B7RLE Deftech body, refurbished by QBC Scomi (decommissioned in April 2024)

Bus Depots

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Rapid Bus headquarters complex were located at Balakong (Kompleks Rapid Bus Cheras Selatan), where all training purposes, bus academy, new bus testing and major maintenance and overhaul takes place. It also holds as the largest depot than any other Rapid Bus depot. Other depots include Batu Caves, Shah Alam, Depoh Presint 14 and Maluri exclusive for Rapid KL. Rapid Penang currently have 5 depots, namely Lorong Kulit, Mak Mandin, Pengkalan Weld, Sungai Nibong and Nibong Tebal. Semambu depot is the only depot specifically built for Rapid Kuantan. For BRT Sunway Line, the depot located just before SunU-Monash station, while Sungai Buloh, Kajang, Desa Tun Razak, Serdang and Jinjang depots houses the MRT Feeder buses.

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rapid KL buses.

References

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  1. ^ Surin Murugiah (27 June 2008). "RM4.9b to boost urban, rail transport systems". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  2. ^ "Back to those 'minibus' days". NST. 18 April 2007.
  3. ^ "Aplikasi Google Maps Untuk Bantu Rancang Perjalanan Dengan Bas". Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Google Maps app to help Rapid bus users plan trips". Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Rapid Bus collaborates with Google Maps app to help users plan trips, view real-time location of buses". 19 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  6. ^ Harizah Kamel (19 June 2020). "RapidKL users can now plan bus trips via Google Maps". themalaysianreserve.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Rapid Kamunting to end service on June 15 after five years of operations". The Star. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Rapid KL Buses to Implement Full Cashless from 15 April – Media Releases | MyRapid Your Public Transport Portal". www.myrapid.com.my. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Rapid KL DRT". www.myrapid.com.my. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Rapid Bus DRT to be enhanced with 300 new vans, says Prasarana". The Star (Malaysia). 14 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Rapid KL Bus Skip Stop Xpress shuttle for Jalan Ampang - Ampang LRT direct to Ampang Park, KLCC - paultan.org". Paul Tan's Automotive News. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  12. ^ "PERKHIDMATAN BAS SKIP STOP XPRESS (DS01) DIJADIKAN LALUAN TETAP". MyRapid. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Rapid KL trialling rush hour bus services - Wangsa Maju, Ampang, Puchong to KL; morning and evening - paultan.org". Paul Tan's Automotive News. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Bas Rapid Khas Untuk Wanita Dilancar – Semasa | mStar". www.mstar.com.my. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Minibus returns as RapidKL looks to solve first-mile coverage for commuters | The Star". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  16. ^ "Laluan Kedua Projek Percubaan Bas Midi Rapid KL – Media Releases | MyRapid Your Public Transport Portal". www.myrapid.com.my. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  17. ^ "Projek Percubaan Bas Midi Dapat Sokongan YB Menteri – Media Releases | MyRapid Your Public Transport Portal". www.myrapid.com.my. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  18. ^ "Rapid Bus mulakan perkhidmatan percubaan van perantara LRT laluan T252". Malaysiapost. 15 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Rapid bus buy tow trucks worth RM3m to reduce maintenance costs". Bernama. Factiva. 5 June 2014.
  20. ^ [1] 120 RapidKL buses coming to Klang Valley streets
  21. ^ [2] Rapid Bus gets 90 Volvo double deckers
  22. ^ BYD delivers 15 electric buses for world’s first battery electrified BRT in Malaysia
  23. ^ [3] RapidKL adds 150 buses to increase efficiency of public transport system
  24. ^ Scania to Deliver 360 New City Buses to RapidKL and RapidKuantan
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