Many were irate over the sudden termination of the free LRT express bus service by Rapid KL, which was announced by the provider on Sunday. The routes had only been in place for a little over two weeks before it was discontinued, with the initial purpose of reducing congestion at certain LRT stations by ferrying users from one station to another via busses during weekday peak hours.
In an interview with Getaran, Rapid Bus CEO Muhammad Yazurin Sallij Muhammad Yasin has given an explanation as to why the lifespan of the service was cut short. Apparently, the free service was terminated because it saw a dry response from passengers since it was first introduced on 17 June.
The CEO revealed that on average, each route only took on a single passenger as most of the public still preferred taking the LRT and MRT trains. The affected routes are SH01 (KLCC-Wangsa Maju), SH02 (Pasar Seni-Universiti), and the morning SH03 route (Pasar Seni-KLCC).
Yazurin said that several initiatives were carried out to promote the free service, including daily posts on Rapid KL’s social media, the distribution of promotional flyers, as well as banners at the KLCC and Pasar Seni bus hubs. When the express bus service was discontinued, Rapid KL posted the announcement on social on Sunday night, leading to some users accosting the company for not making the announcement sooner to inform regular commuters.
imagine orang yang dah plan elok² nak naik bas pagi tadi tapi tuptup takde bas. padahal korang baru update schedule minggu lepas. pastu terlebih bijak issue notice Ahad malam 10pm. no regards whatsoever for public transportation users.
— aaron
(@aruncipun) July 4, 2022
The LRT is currently undergoing massive upgrades and maintenance after the public lambasted Rapid KL for frequent delays and service disruptions, causing massive congestion at popular stations during peak hours. According to Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong, as more trains finish maintenance, the frequency would be reduced from eight minutes to five minutes by August and three minutes by November.
In case you are unaware, Rapid KL and KTM are currently providing free rides for all its services until 15 July, with a free 30-day extension for My50 pass holders that bought the pass before the announcement of the free month. There is also one ongoing express bus route that goes between the Ampang LRT station and KLCC called the Bus Skip Stop Xpress.
(Source: Getaran)
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