LOKE : Only 900 Out Of 1757 Rapid Bus Operational - 45% Aging Fleet

YB Anthony Loke, Minister of Transport, responded yesterday to a question from Kluang member of parliament Wong Shu Qi on the number of buses owned by Prasarana Malaysia Berhad that operate efficiently every day, as well as the number of buses in the Klang Valley that are not completely operational.

According to YB Loke, just 900 of the 1,757 buses operated by Prasarana's subsidiary Rapid Bus are currently operating. This is due to the fact that 45% of the buses have been in service for more than ten years and hence require repair and maintenance to remain operational.

He also stated that Rapid Bus is replacing older and more prone to breakdown buses with electric and new diesel buses as part of its "Fleet Replacement and Electrification Programme." We previously reported in December that Prasarana intends to add more than 300 vehicles by 2024, including 100 RM180 million electric buses.

YB Loke also admitted that daily bus operations face other critical difficulties, such as a shortage of bus captains, which leads to inefficient bus operations. There are now 867 openings that must be filled in order to achieve the best bus operation schedule. Prasarana is doing aggressive hiring operations in order to boost this recruitment activity by offering perks such as increased allowances, among other things.