More buses needed at rush hour

Residents in Danau Kota, Kuala Lumpur are experiencing longer waiting times for public buses, especially during peak hours along Jalan Danau Saujana. They are urging Prasarana Malaysia Berhad to increase the frequency of buses, particularly during the morning rush hour. Jacky Tam, a freelancer, stated that the bus stop next to Aeon Big Danau Kota is crowded with passengers on weekday mornings. The demand for buses is not only from working adults but also from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) students. Although there are shuttle buses for students, some still prefer to ride Rapid buses to TAR UC. Tam, who recently graduated from TAR UC, had previously requested Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd to increase the frequency of buses, but they cited business considerations as a reason for not being able to comply with the request. This issue has been ongoing even before the Covid-19 pandemic.

David Sim, a sales manager, shared that he often waits for 30 minutes for a bus, and due to the crowded bus stop, it is even common to wait outside the bus stop. This becomes inconvenient, especially during rainy weather. StarMetro conducted a site visit and found students lining up for the college shuttle at the bus stop near Aeon Big.

Andre Lai, a member of the Kuala Lumpur Advisory Board, highlighted that there are two bus stops along Jalan Danau Saujana, one near Aeon Big and the other next to Plaza Crystalville Danau Kota. The bus stop closer to the supermarket attracts more people due to the surrounding apartments. However, GoKL buses only pass by parts of Wangsa Maju but do not travel along Jalan Danau Niaga. Lai plans to propose a new GoKL route to serve Jalan Danau Niaga and also suggests a covered walkway from Aeon Big to a nearby mosque for the convenience of passengers. He will raise these proposals with Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s Urban Transportation Department.

Rapid Bus chief executive officer Muhammad Yazurin Sallij Muhammad Yasin mentioned that their team is working towards improving the frequency of buses to meet the increasing demand. The improvement may take effect by the end of October. Currently, Rapid KL operates three buses for the route from Wangsa Maju to Colombia Asia Hospital in Taman Danau Kota. During peak hours from 7am to 10am, the buses run on 25-minute intervals. At other times, the intervals are 30 minutes, except from 7pm to 9pm (40 minutes) and 9pm to 11pm (one hour).