RapidKL : 20 per cent discount on fare

SUBANG JAYA: RapidKL is introducing a new ticketing system for its buses tomorrow.
Datuk Mohamed Hazlan Mohamed Hussain, the group director of the bus division of Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd which owns RapidKL, said the system involved the use of Touch 'n Go cards.

"However, bus commuters can still use cash. We are giving a 20 per cent discount on fares to commuters who use the card during the transitional period which ends on May 31."

Hazlan said the system was introduced to cut the amount of time commuters spent queuing to pay for their bus tickets.

He said, under the old system, it took commuters about 15 minutes, or 25 per cent of the time spent on a trip with six stops, to buy tickets. He said it took about 15 seconds to issue a ticket.

"The Touch 'n Go system is needed as the commuters who use public bus services rose to about 11 million per month in the Klang Valley last year, double that of 2005.

"We are also addressing other issues, including cleanliness. We cut down on paper use, environmental impact caused by carbon monoxide emissions from buses idling at stops and the incidence of pickpocketing when passengers queue up to buy tickets.

With the new system, passengers just need to place their Touch 'n Go cards on the machine. The ticketing vending machine which will be installed in stages on our 1,090 busses can be used to purchase and reload cards, and also make fare payments. It holds about 200 cards at a time."

He said the card, which could be purchased at a minimum of RM5 (inclusive of an RM2 deposit), could also be used to pay the fare on light rail transit (LRT) and monorail trains. But, they cannot be used at toll plazas.

"Commuters can also use regular Touch 'n Go cards and Mykads with the Touch 'n Go facility to pay their bus fare.

"When commuters get onboard a bus, the machine will deduct RM3 from their cards, but the proper fare will be deducted when they touch the machine again with their card before alighting. If the fare is RM1, for example, RM2 will be refunded to the card."

He said the system would be implemented in the company's entire fleet of buses in stages, beginning with Putra Perdana, Puchong, Jalan Klang Lama and Subang (Feb 27), Kajang, Cheras and Sungei Besi (March 8), Sentul, Segambut and Lembah Pantai (March 11), Keramat, Melawati and Gombak (March 14), Shah Alam, Puncak Perdana and Klang (March 17), Selayang and Batu Caves (March 19), Kepong, Mah Sing and Damansara Jalan Duta (March 21), Kelana Jaya, SS2 and Sea Park (March 23), and Pandan and Ampang (March 26).

This is to allow the public to familiarise themselves with the system and for us to gather feedback as we go along. Our staff will provide assistance at the hubs and distribute flyers to commuters."

He said there were plans to have a display board of arrival times at bus stops.

"We hope to do it by year end. It's similar to the electronic boards at the LRT platforms which keep commuters informed about the trains' arrival times."

Hazlan said schoolchildren, senior citizens and the disabled could fill up application forms for concession cards which entitles them to 50 per cent discount on bus fares.

"We are going to schools and talk to representatives of NGOs about the new system."

For details, call 03-7885 2585, visit www.myrapid.com.my, twitter @MyRapidKL or RapidKL on Facebook.

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