I was happy to hear about the plans for an RM10 billion in funding to expand public transport infrastructure and operations in the Klang Valley.

In order to build the many lines that are necessary to make an impact on the Klang Valley, I would like to suggest that RapidKL also consider other forms of rapid transit as alternatives to LRT (light rail transit).

One way to build a rapid transit system at a lower cost and in a faster period of time is to use a strong, fast, reliable bus transit system.

Buses need to be isolated from other traffic. This is why bus-only lanes are need along all the major roads in the Klang Valley such as Jalan Ipoh, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Puchong, Jalan Klang Lama, the Karak Highway, Jalan Kewajipan, and Jalan Cheras.

In fact, RapidKL should go even further, and expand some of the successful trunk bus (bas utama) routes into a Bus-Rapid Transit system.

The advantage of Bus-Rapid Transit over buses is that this is rapid-transit, isolated from traffic. Ideally, this system would operate like the existing rapid-transit system, with a service frequency between 5 and 10 minutes.

Another advantage, aside from the lower construction costs, is that the Bus-Rapid Transit system would operate on the major roads of the Klang Valley (where the trunk bus routes already operate). There would be guaranteed passenger demand.

Ideal models for the RapidKL Bus-Rapid Transit system could include the famous system of Curitaba (Brazil) and Bogata (Colombia), or a more close-to-home example, the TransJakarta busway of Jakarta, Indonesia.