IN an effort to encourage Penangites to utilise public transport and alleviate the worsening traffic congestion during peak hours, Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd is set to introduce the Demand Responsive Transit (DRT) service next year.
Much like the popular Grab e-hailing service provider, this initiative, previously implemented in Selangor, aims to offer an alternative for Penangites residing in neighbourhoods with limited accessibility.
In an interview with Buletin Mutiara at the Rapid Bus office in Lorong Kulit recently, its northern region head Ahmad Shabuddin Abdullah highlighted the importance of introducing DRT to meet the transportation needs of some Penangites.
“The e-hailing bus service involves vans capable of accommodating 10 to 12 passengers at a time. This service is designed to transport passengers to specific locations that are often difficult to reach by conventional buses.
“Our initiative is not to compete against other existing e-hailing operators, but to provide a solution to improve the state’s public transportation network.
“We focus on those places with narrow lanes and high-density residential areas, which we believe will be advantageous to the nearby residents,” he said.
The introduction of DRT is expected to reduce waiting time for commuters, and its trial period, scheduled for three to six months after its launch, will help identify areas for potential improvement.
“For the initial stage, we will deploy 10 buses,” added Ahmad Shabuddin.
Regarding DRT fares, he stated that these details are still under discussion and announcements would be made at a later date.
As for the existing Rapid Penang buses in the state, there are a total of 350 buses in the fleet, with 237 of them in daily operation.
Since 2021, the Penang government has been collaborating with Rapid Penang to promote the Pas Mutiara card, designed to encourage public transport use among Penangites. Currently, an average of 15,000 bus users utilise the Pas Mutiara card every month.
Ahmad Shabuddin expressed his gratitude to the state Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari for his effort to promote the public transportation network.
Additionally, Ahmad Shabuddin called on the public to utilise the Congestion Alleviation Transport (CAT) Bridge Bukit Mertajam-Komtar bus service.
The service was introduced to address traffic issues, particularly in town areas. The bus route includes stops at Summit City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang Bridge, and Komtar Bus Terminal.
The service begins with the first bus trips from Penang Island and Bukit Mertajam departing at 6am, and it resumes in late afternoon (4.50pm), with the last trips at 7pm from Bukit Mertajam and 7.25pm from Komtar.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Siti Nuratikah Rahmat