KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd (Rapid Bus), in collaboration with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), will implement a bus lane trial project starting between the Jalan Rhu and Jalan Tun Razak intersections in Jalan Ampang, here beginning July 3.

Rapid Bus chief executive officer Muhammad Yazurin Sallij said the project would involve 34 buses from two routes, namely route 300 from Pandan Indah to Lebuh Ampang and route 303 from Taman Mulia Jaya to Lebuh Ampang.

According to him, the bus lane, which would operate Monday to Friday from 6am to 9am, was expected to benefit the community along the Jalan Ampang corridor who wished to commute to work in the city centre.

"With this bus lane, the Rapid KL bus service will run more smoothly and save up to 20 minutes of travel time when compared to using a private vehicle.

"We want to encourage the community in Ampang to use the facilities provided so that public transport can become their primary mode of travel,” he said in a statement today.

Muhammad Yazurin hoped that the pilot project would serve as a catalyst for a shift in travel modes, thus helping to reduce the critical traffic congestion on Jalan Ampang.

"The bus service on Jalan Ampang not only takes passengers to KLCC but also connects them to other modes of public transportation to go to their final destination. Travel will be more comfortable with the utilisation of new and comfortable double-decker buses as well as the availability of Park n Ride facilities.

"Congestion can be reduced if there is a change of mode from private vehicles to buses, where a double-decker bus can accommodate a total of 110 people, which is equivalent to more than 50 cars, each of which typically carries one to two passengers at a time,” he said.

Muhammad Yazurin said those in the Ampang area who wish to use the bus service can take advantage of the Park n Ride facility at the Ampang Light Rail Transit (LRT), where the parking fee is only RM4.30 per day.

Users can download the PULSE application on Google Play and the App Store to plan their journey and use Google Maps to check the location of buses, as well as visit the official Rapid KL website at https://myrapid.com.my for the latest information. — Bernama