Do you guys remember the pink minibus that we used to take with our parents when we were young? It was sadly discontinued almost 21 years ago and we were left with just our memories. However, you’ll be glad to know that it’s now making a comeback!
Based on a Facebook post on RapidKL’s website, this service will be available again starting next month from 1st September to 29th November. This is actually a trial period as RapidKl is still testing out this service. They will start by operating the bus on Route T300, which is from Bukit Indah hub to Ampang Point, via Jalan Rasmi and will involve three mini buses.
They said that this trial was to determine whether mini buses were suitable for usage in neighbourhoods with narrow roads and also gather 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.”
These 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.
Muhammad Yazurin said that this is part of Rapid Bus’ initiative to provide better service to their passengers. The old mini bus service served us from 1975 until 1998 and it would always be packed full of passengers, seeing as it was one of the cheapest modes of public transport available back then.
If there is positive feedback, they will consider making the mini bus a permanent feature for this route and possibly expand to other routes. If you have any feedback about the trial service during this time, you can contact the Rapid KL Helpline at 03-7885 2585 or email to suggest@rapidkl.com.my.
There’s no word whether it will be the pink mini buses we know and love, but we hope so! What do you think of this new service?
Also read: RapidKL Buses in Klang Valley To Go Cashless From April 15 As New System Comes Into Place