SPAD revamps bus network to cut down wait times

The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) is giving the Klang Valley’s stage bus network a revamp, The Sun reports. The Bus Network Revamp (BNR), which kicks off today, will see the narrowing down of the existing bus corridors to just eight, all of which will link up to the city centre.

It will consist of the Jalan Ipoh Corridor, Jalan Pahang Corridor, Ampang Corridor, Cheras Corridor, Sungai Besi Corridor, Klang Lama Corridor, Lebuhraya Persekutuan Corridor and Damansara Corridor. Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said the move will see commuters’ waiting times decreased during peak hours (five to 30 minutes) and offer better integration with other modes of public transportation.

“The BNR is also designed to alleviate the uneven bus services in Klang Valley and at the same time help the bus industry remain sustainable by reducing a disproportionate number of bus operators competing to serve selected routes, at the expense of other areas and the commuters,” he added.

In relation to that, SPAD CEO Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah explained that the commission has held a number of discussions and reviews to rationalise the total amount of operators per route. “This review took into account existing bus network, bus reliability, concentrations of housing and business centres, and ridership to drive wider network and reduce route duplication,” he said.

The revamped network will see 2,000 buses serving 638,000 passengers on 241 routes, daily. Other improvements include an Onboard Unit (OBU) as a GPS tracking device that will be monitored through the Performance Monitoring Hub System (PHMS) by SPAD’s control centre. This will reportedly enable increased reliability and efficiency of services.

Under the BNR, new routes will also be introduced, while SPAD says that the bus fares will remain within the ceiling rate as approved by the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board back in 2009.

In addition to that, 3,000 bus stop information panels will be installed at selected bus stops and key hubs in the Klang Valley by 2016, while another 3,700 will be established in stages by 2017. The information panels will consist of route numbers and the bus’ schedule (also displayed in buses) and will serve to help passengers chart their new routes.

Enhanced feeder bus services will be placed at under-served rail stations and terminals, while bus routes will be numbered according to the eight corridors to help commuters identify their buses.

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