Bus fans interacting with a Rapid Bus staff member during the open day at Kompleks Rapid Bus Cheras Selatan in Seri Kembangan. — Courtesy of NATALIE CHAN
MORE community engagements and dedicated events are needed to promote the bus spotting hobby in Malaysia.
Malaysian Land Public Transport Fans chairman Zac Cheong told StarMetro that bus spotting activities in Malaysia were primarily a community-driven effort rather than being institutionally recognised.
“Bus operators in United Kingdom and Japan often engage directly with spotters, organise depot open days and provide official fleet lists.
Bus enthusiasts admiring and taking photos of a double-decker bus during the Rapid Bus Open Day in 2023. — Courtesy of ALVIN HO
“Here, we are beginning to see positive engagement from some local bus operators such as Rapid Bus, which organised its first open day in 2023,” he said.
The two-day open day was held at Kompleks Rapid Bus Cheras Selatan in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
Cheong called for better preservation of older and retired buses for historical purposes.
“Bus operators should meticulously select and preserve at least one bus from each significant or popular retired model.
“Older buses should also be maintained properly. We often see faded liveries on these buses, which affect their visual appeal,” he said.
Cheong said one issue affecting bus spotting activities was standardisation of bus fleets.
“The move towards having large, uniform bus fleets – while good for operational efficiency – could reduce the diversity in bus designs, which is one of the key factors that make bus spotting interesting.
“Bus operators should consider having special liveries for some of their buses. For example, they could paint a few buses in their fleets with a retro theme, celebrating history while offering a fantastic photo opportunity for everyone, not just spotters.”
Rapid Bus confirmed in a statement that the 2023 open day was the only Rapid Bus open day organised to date.
“It gathered approximately 3,000 visitors over two days.
“Among the highlights of the event was a data hackathon and live pitching sessions by local universities.
“One of the ideas proposed during the hackathon was the estimated time of arrival system, which has been implemented at selected bus stops.
“Another idea for an artificial intelligence maintenance system has been adopted and enhanced by Rapid Bus.
“The project has completed its proof of concept and is now in the proposal stage,” said Rapid Bus, adding that it was open to organising more such events.
As for an archive of old or retired buses, Rapid Bus said it currently did not have plans to establish one, but would consider it for future initiatives.
“We deeply appreciate the enthusiasm and passion shown by bus spotters and transport enthusiasts in preserving Malaysia’s public transport heritage.
“Rapid Bus is also continuously striving to maintain the visual and service quality of its older fleets.
“This includes repainting buses with faded liveries, restoring the buses’ original colour schemes and refurbishing interiors to ensure a clean, safe and comfortable journey for passengers.”
