THE extension of the dedicated bus lane along Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, will undergo a six-month trial period starting Monday (Feb 17).
This 1km expansion follows the successful implementation of the initial 3km lane on July 3, 2023.
The additional extension will cover two sections: Section A, from the Ampang–Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH) entry to the Jalan Mamanda 1 intersection, connecting to the existing lane and Section B, from the Bandar Baru Ampang bus stop/Jalan Wawasan Ampang intersection to the Sungai Besi–Ulu Kelang Elevated Highway (SUKE) exit.
Rapid Bus bus infrastructure development chief Zainurul Hakim Mohamad said they would test the entire 4km dedicated bus lane heading towards the city for the first three months.
“During this period, the dedicated lanes will be in operation from 6am to 9am on weekdays.
“For the following three months, the extension of the dedicated bus lane heading away from the city will be tested during the evening rush hour from 4pm to 7pm on weekdays,” he said at a press conference held after a media site visit to test the bus lane.
This initiative, which is in collaboration with Hulu Langat Public Works Department (JKR), will benefit commuters on routes 300 (Pandan Indah Hub – Lebuh Ampang) and 303 (Mulia Jaya Bus Stop – Lebuh Ampang), as well as feeder buses from Pandan Indah, Bukit Indah, Mulia Jaya, and Lembah Jaya.
The extension is part of the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12) and is supported by the Cabinet Committee addressing traffic congestion.
During the bus ride, traffic cones were seen cordoning off the leftmost lanes of Jalan Ampang, with painted markers indicating the dedicated bus lane.
The ride from Ampang LRT station took 23 minutes to reach the bus stop in front of Suria Kuala Lumpur, after departing the station at 8.53am.
“The existing lane has already reduced bus travel time by 10 to 15 minutes and increased daily ridership by 14.14%, from 12,819 to 14,631 passengers on average per day.
“We have recorded figures as high as 16,000 per day.
“With the extended bus lanes, we expect ridership to reach as high as 20,000 per day,” Zainurul said.
Moving forward, Zainurul said Rapid Bus would look into extending the bus lane at Jalan Klang Lama, which, at 7km, is currently the longest dedicated bus lane in the Klang Valley.
"Studies are being conducted to assess the efficiency of the bus lane, and the extension will further enhance its effectiveness," he said.
