Rapid Bus
Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd is the largest bus operator in Malaysia operating mainly in urban areas of Klang Valley, Penang & Kuantan. As of 2011, Rapid KL service brands unit of Rapid Bus, has operates 167 routes with 1400 buses covering 980 residential areas with a ridership of about 400,000 per day.[1]
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 Metrobus, Len Seng Omnibus Co Ltd. and Selangor Omnibus Co. Ltd also serve the Klang Valley.
History
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).
Services
- Rapid KL, a unit of Rapid Bus currently the largest operator stage bus services in Klang Valley.
- Rapid Penang, a unit of Rapid Bus currently the only one operator in Penang island & largest operator stage bus services in Penang northern state of Malaysia.
- Rapid Kuantan, a unit of Rapid Bus currently the largest stage bus services in Kuantan, Pahang east coast state of Malaysia.
- Rapid Kamunting, the stage bus service at Kamunting & Taiping, Perak.
- Go KL City Bus, one of the operator for free bus service funded by Land Public Transport Commission (Malaysia) (SPAD).
- PJ City Bus, a free bus service funded by Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).
- Smart Selangor Bus, a free bus service operated by Rapid Bus funded by Selangor State Government.
- MBPP Rapid Penang Free Shuttle for Bridge Express Shuttle Transit (BEST), Central Area Transit (CAT) and Pulau Tikus Loop (PTL) funded by Penang Island City Council (MBPP).
Using Rapid Bus in Rapid KL brands
Nomenclature
Rapid Bus operates three types of bus services: City Shuttles (Malay: Perkhidmatan bandar), Trunk Buses (Perkhidmatan utama) and Local Shuttles (Perkhidmatan tempatan). There are also 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. E1.
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. But demolished due to the revamping of the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD)
Using the service
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 City Shuttles.
Fares
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.
Schedules
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: 15 to 30 minutes
- Local Shuttle: 15 to 30 minutes
- Express: 30 to 60 minutes
There are scheduled services that are not subject to the above headways.
RapidBET - Rapid Bus Express Transit
BET is a system where the buses utilise less congested highways to link heavily populated areas and the city centre. 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.
The routes are:
- BET1 - Section 8 Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya to Pasar Seni via the Penchala Link (normal service as U88)
- BET2 - Bandar Sungai Long, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur to Pasar Seni via the Grand Saga Cheras-Kajang Expressway (normal service as U41)
- BET3 - USJ 8, Subang Mewah, Subang Jaya to Pasar Seni via the New Pantai Expressway (normal service as U63 & U67)
- BET4 - Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam to Pasar Seni via the New Pantai Expressway (normal service as U64)
- BET5 - Bukit Tasik Puteri to Lebuh Pasar Besar
- BET6 - Bukit Beruntung to Lebuh Pasar Besar
- BET7 - Sri Nilam Apartment, Ampang to Lebuh Ampang (near Titiwangsa LRT) via Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH) (normal service as U22)
- BET8 - Semenyih Sentral, Kajang to Pasar Seni via the Kajang–Seremban Highway
- BET10 - Kuala Selangor Bus Terminal to Pekeliling Bus Terminal (New route; Begins operation 1 December 2015)
BET services are only available on weekdays and during the morning and evening peak hours only. For this initial introductory stage, BET will run at 15 to 20-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 four to six 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.
Detailed headway information and operating hours is available at RapidKL's website.
Fleet
As of June 2014, the Rapid KL's Rapid Bus fleet consists of 1,400 vehicles.[3]
Routes
The Malaysian Land Public Transport Commission has revamped the Klang Valley and Greater Kuala Lumpur bus network entirely, taking effect 1 December 2015.
| Previous Route No. | Current Route No. | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| U8 | 103 (Selangor Bus) | Damansara Damai - Medan Pasar Bus Terminal |
| U4 | 104 (Selangor Bus) | Wangsa Permai - Medan Pasar Bus Terminal |
| U222 | 120 (SJ Bus) | Jinjang Utara - Medan Pasar Bus Terminal |
| U11 | 121 | Taman Sri Sinar - Medan Pasar Bus Terminal |
| U13 | 122 (SJ Bus) | Taman Ehsan - Medan Pasar Bus Terminal |
| U3 | 151 (SJ Bus) | Bandar Baru Selayang - Medan Pasar Bus Terminal |
| U209 | 152/153 (SJ Bus) | Bukit Idaman/Selayang Utama - Medan Pasar Bus Terminal |
| U2A | 170 | Wira Damai Bus Terminal - Medan Pasar Bus Terminal |
| U10 | 171 | Wira Damai Bus Terminal - Medan Pasar Bus Terminal |
| U2 | 172 | Taman Greenwood - Chow Kit Monorail Station |
| U6 | 173 | Taman Jasa Utama - Medan Pasar Bus Terminal |
| U224 | 180 | Taman Dato' Senu - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| U7 | 190 | Desa Sri Hartamas - Medan Pasar Bus Terminal |
| T225 | T120 | Sg.Mas Complex - Taman Mastiara |
| T229 | T121 (SJ Bus) | Metro Prima Kepong - Bandar Baru Selayang |
| U14 | T190 | Taman Sri Segambut - Segambut KTM Station |
| T223 | T180 | Taman Dato' Senu - Titiwangsa via Sentul KTM Station |
| BET5 | BET5 (SJ Bus) | Bukit Tasik Puteri - Lebuh Pasar Besar |
| BET6 | BET6 (SJ Bus) | Bukit Beruntung - Lebuh Pasar Besar |
| New Route | BET10 | Kuala Selangor Bus Terminal - Pekeliling Bus Terminal |
| Previous Route No. | Current Route No. | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| U12 | 200 | UIA Gombak - Lebuh Ampang |
| U201 | 201 | Batu 12 Gombak - Chow Kit - Titiwangsa |
| U1 | 202 | Wira Damai Bus Terminal - Medan Pasar Bus Terminal |
| U23 | 220 | Taman Melawati - Lebuh Ampang |
| T307 | 221 | Dato' Keramat LRT Station - Ampang Point |
| U20 | 222 | Taman Melawati - Chow Kit |
| U24 | 250 | Wangsa Maju LRT Station - UTAR- Lebuh Ampang |
| U25 | 251 | Æon Big Wangsa Maju - Chow Kit Monorail Station |
| U33 | 254 | Ayer Panas - Titiwangsa via Chow Kit |
| U34 | 253 | Wangsa Maju LRT Station - Ampang Point |
| E11A | BET16 | Warta Baru - Putrajaya |
| E11B | BET17 | Pinggiran Batu Caves - Putrajaya |
| T231 | T200 | Gombak LRT Station - International Islamic University Malaysia |
| T203 | T201 | Gombak LRT Station - Wira Damai Bus Hub |
| T226 | T202 | Taman Melati LRT Station - Taman Melewar |
| T205 | T203 | Taman Melati LRT Station - Danau Kota |
| T204 | T204 | Kg Nakhoda - Taman Greenwood |
| T304 | T221 | Sri Rampai LRT Station - Taman Melawati |
| T305 | T222 | Sri Rampai LRT Station - UKAY Perdana |
| T309 | T223 | Setiawangsa LRT Station - AU3, Jentayu, Keramat |
| T330 | T224 | Dato' Keramat LRT Station - Desa Pandan |
| T312 | T250 | Wangsa Maju LRT Station - Jalan Genting Klang PV12 |
| T302 | T251 | Sri Rampai LRT Station - Wangsa Maju Sec. 10 |
| Previous Route No. | Current Route No. | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| U30 | 300 | Pandan Mewah - HAB Munshi Abdullah |
| U27 | 301 | Sri Nilam - Taman Midah |
| B103 | 302 | Titiwangsa - KLCC |
| U28 | 303 | Taman Mulia Jaya - HAB Munshi Abdullah |
| U26/T320 | T300 | Bukit Indah - Ampang Point via Ampang LRT Station |
| U29 | T301 | Taman Mulia Jaya - Ampang Point via Jalan Merdeka |
| U332 | T302 | Hutan Lipur Ampang - Ampang Point |
| T328 | T303 | Pandan Indah LRT Station - Ampang Point |
| T323 | T350 | Cempaka LRT Station - Sri Nilam via Taman Mawar |
| T324 | T351 | Cempaka LRT Station - Taman Bukit Permai |
| T327 | T352 | Taman Shamelin - IKEA Cheras - Maluri LRT Station |
| BET7 | BET7 | Sri Nilam - Medan Pasar |
 GREEN |
GREEN |
KLCC - Bukit Bintang |
 PURPLE |
PURPLE |
Pasar Seni - Bukit Bintang |
| Previous Route No. | Current Route No. | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| U46 / U49 | 400 | Damai Perdana - Taman Segar- Maluri LRT Station- Bukit Bintang -HAB Lebuh Pudu |
| T410 / U411 | 401 | KTM Serdang - Cheras Perdana -Tmn Tun Perak - Tmn Putri Jaya - Suntex -Bukit Bintang -HAB Lebuh Pudu |
| B114 | 402 | Maluri LRT Station - LRT Ampang Park - Titiwangsa |
| U31 | 420 | Pandan Indah - IKEA Cheras- Bukit Bintang -Menara Maybank |
| U32 | 421 | Taman Dagang - Bukit Bintang -Menara Maybank |
| U40 | 450 | Kajang - Taman Segar- Maluri LRT Station - HAB Lebuh Pudu |
| New Route | 452 | Bandar Tasek Kesuma,Semenyih- Taman Segar- Maluri LRT Station - HAB Lebuh Pudu |
| U45 | T400 | Bandar Tun Razak - Maluri LRT Station |
| U44 | T401 | Bandar Sri Permaisuri - Maluri LRT Station |
| T433 | T402 | Salak Selatan LRT Station - HUKM via Bandar Sri Permaisuri |
| T405 | T403 | Cheras Awana - Taman Segar- Bandar Tasek Selatan LRT Station |
| T408 | T404 | Taman Supreme - Taman Midah |
| U47 | T405 | Cheras Hartamas - Taman Segar |
| U412 | T406 | Sg Lui - Suntex- TM Batu 10 |
| U415 | T450 | Beranang - Bandar Kajang |
| T430 | T451 | Bandar Kajang - UKM |
| BET2 | BET2 | Bandar Sg Long - Taman Segar - Maluri LRT Station - HAB Lebuh Pudu |
| Previous Route No. | Current Route No. | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| E1 | 500 (Nadi Putra) | Putrajaya Sentral - HAB Lebuh Pudu |
| U42 | 502 (Nadi Putra) | Putrajaya Sentral - KTM Serdang |
| U43 | 506 | Putrajaya Sentral - IOI Puchong Jaya - LRT Kelana Jaya - HUB Bandar Utama |
| U429 | 520 (Nadi Putra) | Cyberjaya Transport Terminal - Putrajaya Sentral |
| U432 | 540 | Bandar Putra Permai - HAB Lebuh Pudu |
| New Route | 551 | Bandar Baru Bangi via Terminal Kajang - KTM Serdang -HAB Lebuh Pudu |
| T416 | 570 (MetroBus) | UPM Serdang - HAB Lebuh Pudu |
| U48 | 580 | Desa Petaling - HAB Lebuh Pudu via Bukit Bintang |
| T424 | 581 | Desa Tasik - HUKM via LRT Bandar Tasek Selatan |
| U41 | 590 | Bandar Sg Long - KTM Serdang - HAB Lebuh Pudu |
| T417 | T571 (MetroBus) | Taman Sri Pulai - Sg Besi LRT Station |
| T418 | T580 | Awan Besar LRT Station - Technology Park Malaysia via Bukit Jalil LRT Station |
| T419 | T581 | Alam Sutera LRT Station - PPR Pinggiran Bukit Jalil |
| T422 | T582 | Bukit Jalil LRT Station - Salak Selatan LRT Station |
| T421 | T583 | Taman Gembira - Salak Selatan LRT Station |
| Previous Route No. | Current Route No. | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| U60 | 600 | Puchong Utama - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| U68 | 640 | Taman Sentosa - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| U76 | 641 | Subang Parade - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| U72 | 650 | Taman Desa - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| U73 | 651 | OUG - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal via Awan Besar LRT Station |
| U71 | 652 | Awan Besar LRT Station - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| T505 | T640 | Taman Jaya LRT Station - Taman Sentosa |
| S02 | 690 | Pudu Central - Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) |
| Previous Route No. | Current Route No. | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| U62 | 708 | Klang - Sunway Pyramid via Hentian Bandar |
| U80 | 750 | UiTM Section 2 Shah Alam to Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| U64 | 751 | Taman Sri Muda - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| U65 | 752 | Putra Heights - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| U90 | 753 | Shah Alam City Stop - UiTM Puncak Alam |
| U605 | 754 | Sec. 2 Shah Alam - Puncak Perdana |
| U63 | 770 | Subang Mewah USJ1 - Pasar Seni |
| U67 | 771 | Subang Mewah USJ1 - Pasar Seni via Pers. Tujuan |
| U81 | 772 | Subang Suria Mah Sing - Pasar Seni |
| U88 | 780 | Kota Damansara - Pasar Seni |
| U66 | 781 | Taman Medan - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| U75 | 782 | PJ Old Town Bus Terminal - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| U623 | 783 | Kelana Jaya LRT Station - Subang Parade |
| T600 | T715 | UiTM Puncak Alam - Puncak Alam City |
| T603 | T750 | Shah Alam Sec.2 - UiTM Shah Alam |
| T604 | T751 | Shah Alam Sec.7 - UiTM Shah Alam |
| T601 | T752 | Shah Alam Sec.2 - MSU via Shah Alam City Stop |
| T602 | T753 | Shah Alam City Stop - Sect 11,9,8,6,4 |
| T529 | T754 | Shah Alam City Stop - Shah Alam KTM Komuter Station |
| T527 | T755 | Shah Alam City Stop - Subang Mas |
| T530 | T756 | Bukit Kemuning - City Stop via Taman Muda |
| T523 | T770 | Subang Parade - USJ 14/8 |
| T610 | T771 | Subang Bistari - Subang Perdana |
| T608 | T772 | Bukit Subang - Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport |
| T622 | T780 | Kelana Jaya LRT Station - Taman Mayang |
| T624 | T781 | Kelana Jaya LRT Station - Kelana Centre Point |
| T607 | T782 | Kelana Jaya LRT Station - Ara Damansara |
| T625 | T783 | Taman Bahagia LRT Station - SS6 |
| T626 | T784 | Taman Bahagia LRT Station - Damansara Utama |
| T627 | T785 | Taman Bahagia LRT Station - Sungai Way |
| T629 | T786 | Asia Jaya LRT Station - Eastin Hotel |
| T628 | T787 | Asia Jaya LRT Station - Section 14 & 17 |
| T631 | T788 | University LRT Station - Mid Valley Megamall |
| T632 | T789 | Bukit Angkasa via University LRT Station - University of Malaya |
| T635 | T790 | University LRT Station - PPUM via Mid Valley Megamall |
| T633 | T791 | Kerinchi LRT Station - Pantai Hill Park |
| PURPLE | PURPLE | Pasar Seni Bus Terminal - Bukit Bintang |
| Citta Mall | Citta Mall | Citta Mall - HQ Subang |
| Paradigm Mall | Paradigm Mall | Kelana Jaya LRT Station - Paradigm Mall |
| PJ01 | PJ01 | Taman Medan - Taman Jaya LRT Station |
| PJ02 | PJ02 | Taman Jaya LRT Station - PPUM via SS2 |
| BET3 | BET3 | Subang Mewah - Pasar Seni |
| BET4 | BET4 | Taman Sri Muda - Pasar Seni |
| KLG1 | KLG1 | Klang City - MPK Building |
| SA01 | SA01 | Shah Alam KTM Komuter Station - Sec. 7 |
| SJ01 | SJ01 | MPSJ Building - Subang Jaya KTM Komuter Station |
| Previous Route No. | Current Route No. | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| U82 | 800 | Bandar Utama - KL Sentral |
| U86 | 801 | Bandar Utama - Metro Prima |
| U89 | 802 | Kelana Jaya LRT Station - Kota Damansara |
| U74 | 821 | Pantai Hill Park - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| U87 | 822 | Bangsar Park - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal |
| B115 | 851 | Pasar Seni Bus Terminal - Kompleks Jalan Duta |
| U83 | 850 | KL Sentral - Kompleks Jalan Duta |
| U618 | 852 | Pekeliling Bus Terminal - MATRADE |
| New Route | T800 | Pelangi Damansara - Bandar Utama |
| T634 | T850 | Pusar Bandar Damansara - Bangsar LRT Station |
| New Route | T851 | KL Sentral - Parlimen |
| BET1 | BET1 | Kota Damansara - Pasar Seni Bus Terminal via Penchala Link |
See also
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to RapidKL buses. |
- Prasarana Malaysia Berhad
- Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD)
- Public transport in Kuala Lumpur
- Buses in Kuala Lumpur
References
- ↑ Surin Murugiah (27 June 2008). "RM4.9b to boost urban,rail transport systems". Retrieved 28 June 2008.
- ↑ "Back to those ‘minibus’ days". NST. 18 April 2007.
- ↑ "Rapid bus buy tow trucks worth RM3m to reduce maintenance costs". Bernama (Factiva). 5 June 2014.
External links
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