Free bus rides for Melaka folk

Melaka folk can look forward to free rides on buses that ply between Melaka Sentral and Melaka Hospital, as well as Transit Wet Market. — Filepic

MELAKA: Melaka folk will be able to enjoy free bus service for two routes by end of August.

Public Works, Transport and Amenities committee chairman Mohd Sofi Abd Wahab said two routes to be covered by the free bus service would be from Sentral Bus Terminal to Melaka Hospital and Melaka International Trade Center (MITC), as well as from Sentral Bus Terminal to Transit Wet Market in Bachang.

Mohd Sofi said the state government allocated RM1.5mil annually to provide the free service.

“The free bus service is line with Pakatan Harapan’s GE14 manifesto and the service is expected to be operational by end of next month,” he said.

He said the service would involve three buses, operating from 7am to 9pm daily at a 30-minute interval for both routes.

Mohd Sofi says the free bus service is in line with pledges made in the GE14 manifesto.

He noted that the service would only be free for Malaysians while foreigners would be required to pay the normal rates.

Meanwhile, passenger Baharuddin Omar, 46, from Klebang highlighted the problematic stage bus service that had long failed to follow the given schedule.

He said the inefficient service had inconvenienced the commuters.

A 35-year-old clerk who declined to be named said she had been facing problems in getting to work on time since Feb 1.

‘’I used to take a bus from my home in Malim to the Melaka Sentral terminal before switching bus to Melaka Raya for work at about 10am,” she said when met at the Sentral Bus Terminal.

‘’However, the buses are seldom on schedule, and I always have to wait much longer than expected for a bus to finally arrive.

“I have not been able to reach my work place on time,” she added.

Baharuddin says bus service between Klebang and city centre is poor and long waits are a norm.

Passenger T. Saravana, 49, from Batu Berendam hoped the Government could make the stage bus an efficient mode of transportation.

“Previously, commuters’ grouses were taken lightly.

“Mohd Sofi seems to be visiting the bus terminal more often and makes an effort to find ways to improve the service,” he said.

Saravana said the public transportation should be top class as Melaka was a popular tourist destination.

“Tourists on shoe-string budget prefer to use stage buses, so our service should be good,” he added.