RAPID PENANG ON-DEMAND SERVICE EXPANDED TO THREE NEW ZONES STARTING APRIL 26

GEORGE TOWN, April 24 (Bernama) -- Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd, the operator of Rapid Penang bus services, will expand its Rapid Penang On-Demand network with three new zones starting April 26.

In a statement today, Rapid Bus said these new zones will encompass the George Town city centre as well as the densely populated areas of Jelutong and Bayan Lepas.

“This service will connect passengers from areas with limited access to existing bus routes through a first-mile and last-mile solution, either by linking to current Rapid Penang bus services or directly to the passengers’ destinations.

“The introduction of these new zones is expected to encourage more people to opt for public transport over private vehicles,” the statement said.

Rapid Bus acting chief executive officer Ku Jamil Zakaria said 14 vans will be deployed for operations in the new zones, with an additional 21 vans to be introduced in phases starting from June 2025 to support the next phase of the service.

As part of service improvements, Ku Jamil said Rapid Bus will consolidate On-Demand operations in the Paya Terubong and Farlim zones starting in May, which is expected to enhance connectivity between the On-Demand service and existing Rapid Penang routes.

He said the service initially began with just two vans in the Farlim zone and recorded an average of 120 passengers daily. However, with expansion to new areas such as Gurney, Sunway and Paya Terubong, the number of vans has increased to 17.

“After this expansion, the Rapid Penang On-Demand service continues to receive encouraging response, with current daily ridership averaging 753 passengers,” he said.

The Rapid Penang On-Demand service operates daily from 6 am to 11 pm, offering a promotional fare of RM1 per trip.

-- BERNAMA