More buses in Penang could worsen congestion, says Rapid Bus

2026-03-14 - 01:33

Rapid Bus acting CEO Ku Jamil Zakaria said Singapore has much shorter waiting times for buses because of policies aimed at reducing the number of private cars on the road. GEORGE TOWN: Putting more buses on the road, especially along Penang’s dense and narrow streets, could be counterproductive, says Rapid Bus acting CEO Ku Jamil Zakaria. He said the lack of permanent bus lanes meant Rapid Penang buses had to compete with private cars and other vehicles on the road. Jamil added that Penang also faced frequent traffic diversions, whether for cultural events or in the long-term due to LRT construction work. He said this would mean more time spent on a given route and lead to longer waiting times for passengers. “We would be adding to the already congested roads. What we can do in the near future is to bring the number of Rapid Penang buses back to 300, which was the figure before the pandemic,” he told reporters at a breaking of fast event here last night. There are currently 232 Rapid Penang buses in the state. Jamil was responding to a question on how to reduce long waits at bus stops in Penang, which he said averaged 30 minutes. He pointed to Singapore, where about 7,000 buses operate and waiting times at bus stops can be as short as five minutes. Jamil said this was possible because of policies aimed at reducing the number of private cars on the road. “There are also congestion zones and bus lanes. Over here in Penang, we have to deal with the traffic,” he said. Jamil said Rapid Bus was in constant talks with the state government on trial bus lane runs, especially along the busy Kelawei Road area near Gurney Drive. He said the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) would first conduct studies before allowing a trial run. Positive response to DRT in Penang Commenting on the Rapid Penang on-demand van service, Ku Jamil said it was well received by residents, especially in Air Itam. Given its popularity, with 2,500 passengers using it daily, he said Rapid would roll out 300 electric vans this year, with 170 to be deployed in Penang.