THE STATE government’s free bus service has been extended to Sepang.
Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang) president Datuk Datuk Puasa Md Taib said the trial run of the Selangor Smart Bus service would begin next month.
Two buses, which can carry 40 passengers, will be used for the 58.4km route.
The service will start from KL International Airport and proceed to KLIA 2, ERL Salak Tinggi, Sungai Pelek and finally Tanjung Sepat.
The interval between buses will be an hour and 30 minutes
Puasa said the state government had given RM600,000 towards the management of the free bus service.
“The council, along with the State Economic Planning Unit, will monitor the bus service closely during the three-to-six-month trial period.
“There is a need for such a service but we will only be providing two buses currently for the route.
“If the response is good, then we will write to the state government to ask for more buses,” he said during the full board meeting at MPSepang’s headquarters in Cyberjaya yesterday.
He added that the service would be launched in the third week of May by Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.
Meanwhile, Puasa also announced that two MPS staff’s contracts would not be renewed because of unsatisfactory work performance.
They were attached to the Planning and Landscape departments as an assistant and administrative assistant, respectively.
“Only those who achieve 85% in their Key Performance Index assessment will have their contracts renewed,” he said.
He added the contracts of 73 officers were renewed for two years.
Meanwhile in Selayang, residents can also look forward to the free bus service from May 1.
Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) president Suliman Abd Rahman said the Selangor Smart Bus service would have one route.
The service will start from Selayang Stadium in Bandar Baru Selayang, proceed to the Gombak police station, Hospital Selayang, Selayang Baru, Batu Caves, Greenwood, International Islamic University Malaysia and end at Putra Terminal, Gombak, travelling a distance of 30km.
“We have proposed to have four buses with a 30-minute interval between journeys,’’ said Suliman during the MPS full board meeting yesterday.
MPS Town Planning officer Ahmad Faizal Roslan said 20,000 passengers, mostly students and senior citizens, were expected to use the service.
When asked how MPS would ensure only locals benefitted, he said they were looking into the possibility of asking passengers to show their MyKad.
“This will ensure that only Malaysians use the service,’’ said Suliman.
On Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s proposal to build a centralised slaughterhouse for poultry at the Selayang daily market, Suliman said an action plan was needed to manage traffic congestion in the area.
“We will discuss this with DBKL,” he said.
Suliman also said MPS would not increase the rates for its Ramadan bazaars.