Cars parked along Jalan Hilir close to the Telok Gadong KTM Komuter station.
KLANG Municipal Council (MPK) has been urged to redraw the Smart Selangor bus route to include the Telok Gadong KTM Komuter station for better connectivity and to cut down on single occupant vehicles (SOVs) on the road.
Commuters who use the bus service find it reliable but complain that it does not stop at the KTM station.
The stop closest to the station is the Persiaran Raja Muda Musa bus stop, which is 850m away and at the end of Jalan Hilir in Taman Gembira, Klang in Selangor.
Klang Consumer Association president A. Devadass said the Smart Selangor free bus service was a good idea but some improvements were needed.
A Smart Selangor bus passes through Persiaran Raja Muda Musa but does not turn right into Jalan Hilir. —Photos by IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
He said the Smart Selangor Delivery Unit (SSDU) should collaborate with MPK to use digital data to determine customer needs and enable hassle-free first-mile and last-mile ridership.
“With the help of data, SSDU and MPK will know people’s travel patterns to create better connectivity for a more liveable township,” he said after going through MPK’s Smart Selangor bus service questionnaire.
The questionnaire was given out to the public last week to get passengers’ feedback to improve the service.
Devadass said the present Smart Selangor bus route should be remapped to ensure connectivity with the Telok Gadong KTM Komuter station.
A resident, Shafiq Abdul Ghani, 35, said such connectivity was crucial so that people could opt to leave their cars at home and the number of vehicles parked outside the commuter station would drop.
“With the free bus service, it is so convenient for me as I can avoid the morning rush hour with the bumper-to-bumper crawl.
“But, just like me, other passengers want the bus to turn into Jalan Hilir and stop at the Telok Gadong KTM Komuter station,” he said.
Sally Ho, 67, opted to use the free bus service to avoid driving through traffic congestion, looking for parking space and paying for petrol.
“I use the bus service but I have to walk the 850m distance. I wish the bus route would include Jalan Hilir,” she said.
Engineer Sivaraj Selliah, 44, said the lack of connectivity between the Smart Selangor bus service and the KTM Komuter station had resulted in many people being forced to drive and park at the station to catch the train.
“We see cars parked on both sides of the road to the Komuter station, but we can change mindsets and get them to leave their cars at home if the station is part of the bus route.
“It will help to cut down on carbon footprint,” he said.
Devadass suggested MPK review the route and extend the service to residential areas too.
“People’s tax money is being used to run this free bus service.
“So the bus should pick up passengers along residential routes such as Jalan Mengkuang and Jalan Emas in Taman Melawis.
“Most of the older neighbourhoods in south Klang have a considerable number of pensioners who will be glad if the buses ply the main roads of neighbourhoods,” he added.
MPK Corporate Communications Department director Norfiza Mahfiz said the council was gathering feedback from the public on the bus service via the questionnaire.
“We will evaluate if a stop is viable at Telok Gadong KTM Komuter station to reduce SOVs going into Jalan Hilir,” she added.
