It was announced earlier that the service will be extended to Selayang and Sepang as well. — filepic
THE Selangor state government free bus service will include Puchong from next month.
The bus service also known as Selangor Smart Bus Service will be operated by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) with support from Land Public Transport Comission (SPAD).
According to sources from SPAD, the route will start from Pusat Bandar Puchong LRT station and traverse the IOI Puchong Jaya LRT station, Sunway Medical Centre BRT station, Sunway Pyramid, Inti College at SS15, Subang Parade and Sime Darby Medical Centre, Subang Jaya.
Residents in Puchong have previously appealed to the authorities to provide better bus service to Subang Jaya. Although the distance between the two towns was close, there was no proper public transport connectivity.
The free bus service will greatly benefit the growing population in Puchong and could reduce the congestion at the LDP Sunway toll plaza.
College student Daniel Ng, 22 who lives in Puchong Jaya, was excited to hear about the free bus service and hoped to save money by using it.
“This is good news as I currently have to pay RM4.20 daily just for toll to drive to my college in Bandar Sunway although the distance between my house and college is only 6km.
“I am glad the bus service is free. It will be very useful for students like me,” he added.
According to a spokesman from SPAD, the free bus service would also connect the “missing link” from Puchong to Bandar Sunway and Subang Jaya.
“The bus routes were properly planned with MPSJ to provide direct access from the newly opened LRT stations in Puchong to the Sunway BRT line and also popular areas in Subang,’’ he said.
The Sunway BRT Line is also integrated with the upcoming Kelana Jaya LRT extension line and KTM Komuter.
“This will serve as an efficient feeder service and will provide better connectivity for Puchong and Subang Jaya residents, he added.
Asked why the free bus service would not start from LRT BK5 station in Bandar Kinrara despite demand from residents there, he said SPAD had conducted a study in Puchong and Bandar Kinrara and found that demand for bus services were higher in Pusat Bandar Puchong and IOI Puchong Jaya where plans to provide better connectivity were currently underway.
“For passengers travelling from BK5 LRT station in Bandar Kinrara, they can transfer at the IOI Puchong Jaya LRT station to use the free bus service to Subang Jaya and Bandar Sunway,’’ he said.
The spokesman added that details such as frequencies, operating hours and the official launch date would be revealed once they had finalised details with MPSJ.
He added MPSJ planned to introduce an additional free bus service to serve residents in Bandar Kinrara to connect to the BK5 LRT Station and certain areas in Bandar Puteri, Puchong.
Kinrara assemblyman Ng Sze Han, who has been supportive of the idea, said the free bus service was aimed at providing better connectivity in areas not covered by current bus operators.
“The free bus service will benefit communities in Puchong and Subang Jaya who are making use of public transport to head to shopping malls, universities and hospitals,’’ he added.
Recently the state government announced that the Selangor Smart Bus Service will cover Selayang and Sepang.
Other areas that are enjoying the service are Shah Alam, Subang Jaya, Ampang, Petaling Jaya and Klang.
The Smart buses are also equipped with free WiFi connection, CCTV and disabled facilities.
Public transport connectivity in Puchong will also further improve next month when the remaining three LRT stations under the Ampang LRT Extension project are fully operational on June 30.
The three LRT stations are Puchong Perdana, Puchong Prima and Putra Heights.
Putra Heights will also be the integrated station for the Kelana Jaya extension line which is also scheduled to open on June 30 with new stations located in Subang, Ara Damansara and Glenmarie.
The spokesman from SPAD has also confirmed that once the Ampang LRT extension project was fully completed, commuters from Puchong LRT station would no longer need to switch trains at the Sri Petaling LRT station.
Currently, commuters have to switch trains as RapidKL was upgrading its signalling system at the older stations.
“They can soon commute directly all the way to Sentul Timur once RapidKL has completed its system migration works by June 30 for its new sets of Ampang Line trains to serve along its older stations,’’ the spokesman added.
