KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — As part of its effort to provide first-mile coverage for its commuters, RapidKL will implement a trial run of minibuses that will service Route T300.

The Star reported its chief executive officer Muhammad Yazurin Sallij as saying the company is looking to use smaller buses, which can reach more areas such as public housing projects which larger vehicles are unable to enter.

"We felt that we needed a smaller bus because we believe we are not covering enough areas to solve the first mile for commuters,” he said.

Yazurin added that in the case of the housing projects, it is common to see cars parked on both the left and right side of the road, making it difficult for regular buses.

RapidKl’s decision to bring back the minibus was met with a mixed reaction on social media, with some expressing nostalgia for the vehicle which had its heyday in the 1980’s and 1990’s, while others criticised the move.

Yazurin explained the trial run is meant to collect data on the capacity, cost, and suitability of using mini buses.

"With the data that we collect, we want to do proper planning to see if we can reach more (hard-to-access) areas,” he said, adding RapidKL is also seeking public feedback.

"It does not matter if the feedback is good or bad. With the feedback, at least we would know, and it will be taken into consideration for us to do our planning,” Yazurin said.

At present the company uses different buses, including a 12-metre bus for normal routes, a 10-metre bus for the MRT feeder buses, and double decker buses.

The route will be serviced by three mini buses from September 1 to November 29, and can carry 31 passengers each. The buses will run on a frequency of 15 minutes during peak hours and 25 minutes during non-peak hours, between the hours of 5.30am to 11.40pm.

Feedback can be provided by the Rapid KL Helpline at 03-7885 2585 or emailing suggest@rapidkl.com.my.