Wah .. never thought it’s almost 21 years since the last minibus roam in KL city!
And better news is that the minibus is making it’s come back after MIA for 21 years!
This really brings back the memories … still remember we used to take the bus with our parents and especially the conductor standing at the door while the minibus is moving. Dangerous but that the good old memories!
Now, this is no longer just a memories as Rapid KL has announce on their Facebook that they will be bring back the minibus service (as per on the Facebook post). This will not be a permanent but it will be a trial run as RapidKl is still testing out this service. This service will be available starting next month from 1st September to 29th November and the route that’s selected for this is on Route T300, which is from Bukit Indah hub to Ampang Point, via Jalan Rasmi and will involve three mini buses.
The purpose of this trial run is to test water whether the mini buses were suitable for usage in neighbourhoods, especially with narrow roads at KL. Aside from that, they would also want to get the feedback from commuters about their journey experience. Rapid Bus Chief Executive Officer, Muhammad Yazurin Sallij said,
If there is encouraging demand during the trial service, we will consider retaining the service for this route and possibly extend the service to other potential routes. This is part of Rapid Bus initiative to provide better service and frequency for our commuters.
So there is still a chance for this services can be permanent la … ok ok …. good!
Some fun fact is that the mini buses are expected to carry up to 31 passengers per vehicle while the usual buses available now carry about 64 passengers. Once these new (old?) mini buses start operating, they will run at a frequency of 15 minutes (peak hours) and 25 minutes (non-peak hours) per trip from 5:30am to 11:40pm.
One more note is that the commuters are welcomed to give feedback during the trial service by contacting the Rapid KL Helpline at 03-7885 2585 or email to suggest@rapidkl.com.my.
So what’s your thought on the minibus comeback? We are surely excited minus the part where it speeding and cutting through (like the those 90’s minibus 😅)