BRT Sunway Line Project set for operations in May 2015

Now at 34 percent completion, the fully-elevated Bus Rapid Transit – Sunway Line (BRT) – the first ever elevated BRT project of its kind in South East Asia – is on track for testing and commission in 12 months’ time and is set for services next May.

A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (Prasarana) and Sunway Group, the project will provide convenient and cost-efficient transportation for 500,000 residents in Bandar Sunway and USJ including 30,000 students and some 40 million visitors and tourists to Sunway Resort City.

To be operated by Prasarana’s bus subsidiary - Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd - with a 5-minute frequency, the system would have a capacity to move up to 2,400 passengers per hour and a total of up to 30,000 passengers per day.

   
“This project demonstrates good collaboration between all parties in Malaysia. All parties – the government agencies, the private sector, the state government and the local government worked very well together for the common good of this beloved nation,” says Prasarana Chairman Tan Sri Ismail Adam, who accompanied Tan Sri Syed Hamid Jaafar Albar, Chairman of the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) to a special briefing of the project at Bandar Sunway today.

Joined by key executives of SPAD and Prasarana, the briefing which included a tour of the project site, was also attended by Sunway Group Founder and Chairman, Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah and its Corporate Advisor, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam.

Speaking at a joint media conference later, Tan Sri Syed Hamid said that the commission had only praises for the project.

“We at SPAD are very happy with the progress of the project. This is a historical and meaningful project as it is not only the first of its kind; but will also become an iconic example for all future BRT projects in Malaysia. We are looking at some 12 corridors for BRT.

“This project will contribute significantly to the higher usage of public transport over private vehicles in line with the Government’s aim to achieve 40 percent of public transport modal share by 2030.

“I am very happy to say that the project is on schedule, though there are a few minor areas that SPAD would assist in resolving,” added Tan Sri Syed Hamid.

Undertaken at a cost of RM549 million, construction of the project started in March 2013. Upon completion, it would feature a 5.4km elevated guideway with seven stations, two of which would be integrated with the Setia Jaya Komuter station (BRT Station 1)and Station 7 of the new Kelana Jaya LRT Line Extension Project respectively.

The other stations are Station 2 at Mentari Business Park, Station 3 at Jalan Lagoon Timur in front of Sunway Lagoon, Station 4 in front of Sunway Medical Centre and Sunway Geo, Station 5 in front of Monash University Malaysian Campus, and Station 6 near South Quay. 
 

Speaking at the media conference, Tan Sri Jeffrey said the BRT Sunway Line would be a ‘game changer’ for Bandar Sunway and the surrounding areas as it would provide excellent connectivity through the KTM Komuter and the LRT networks as well as the bus networks.

Responding to the media, Prasarana Group Managing Director Dato’ Sri Shahril Mokhtar said that once operational, the BRT Sunway Line would be using the same ticketing system currently used at the LRT and monorail systems to ensure seamless travel.

“To simplify, if you are travelling from Masjid Jamek to Sunway, you only need to touch-in at the Masjid Jamek LRT station to enter and the touch-out at any one of the BRT stations in Sunway to exit using a single ticket. This is what we termed as seamless travel,” he said.

He also said that the electric buses for the project had already been ordered and that they are at the designing stage.