Kota Kinabalu is mulling the possibility of providing a free shuttle bus service within the city area but the catch is that commuters may have to wait another two years. Taxi and bus fares are also slated to go up by between 30 per cent and 50 per cent soon.

sabah public transport service problem 090609 04 Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, VK Liew, in disclosing the free shuttle bus plan, said the idea came from the transport operators themselves.

“We welcome the operators’ initiative as this proves that they are not motivated solely by profits,” he said. “This is one way to ease the people’s burden for now.”

Meanwhile, the fully air-conditioned new city shuttle bus service introduced on June 1 to ease congestion in the central business district (CBD) is also expected to “boost the city’s image”.

At present, the elderly over 65 years old, disabled and children under five enjoy free rides on the city bus service. Students in uniforms or those with student cards will only need to pay 30 sen per ride as against 50 sen for those who don’t qualify.

Walking promotes a healthy lifestyle

The operators did not say how they would compensate themselves for the proposed free rides on shuttle services but Liew thinks they probably can meet the cost from the spillover of profits from their other transport businesses.

sabah public transport service problem 090609 06 Consumer activists are not sure and worry the operators would probably lobby the politicians eventually and land the government with a hefty bill for the free bus rides.

This idea of the free bus rides follows complaints from commuters that transport operators have upped their daily fares by 50 sen per trip. Many also complain that they have to walk to the designated bus stops from places like CentrePoint, Warisan Square and Wisma

Merdeka, among others.

Mayor Iliyas Ibrahim shrugs off the complaints of those who dislike the extra walk. “The walk is actually good for them as it encourages them to exercise and promote a healthy lifestyle,” said Iliyas.

However, a commuter, Alie Louis, said: “It used to take me half an hour to go to work but now I take 90 minutes because the city bus only departs when it is full.”

Higher bus fare affecting the poor

“Sometimes, we are late for work because we have to change buses. Our bus fare has increased from RM1.30 daily to RM1.80 each.”

Commuters Francis, 24, John Nazri, 34, Syafik 30, and Ferdinand 31 all have similar complaints about bus fares, the extra time taken in travelling and the distance they have to walk to catch a bus.

“I hope we will be allowed to return to our old routes,” said bus driver Joseph Newman, 42, who has been in his job for the last two decades.

“The additional bus fare is really affecting the poor. It is inconvenient for the elderly as well as they have to change buses and walk some distance to catch the bus. Imagine, if they are carrying things?”

Two other drivers also disagreed with the new system although they don’t have a big problem with it. “It is the passengers who have to pay their fare four times,” said Syarizan, 28 and Brendan, 27.

“It is also inconvenient for those doing the night shift since they have to walk all the way to the CBT, sometimes from the port area.”

Many commuters unhappy with new service

Liew claims that he has taken the city bus service himself and has no complaints but conceded that many commuters are unhappy with the change.

“I have no doubt that we will be able to enjoy an improved and efficient bus service in Kota Kinabalu soon,” said Liew. “We are now only in the first week of service and any shortcomings and complaints will be noted.”

“I have met with the regular bus operators and mini bus operators. They are happy with the new shuttle service since it brings passengers to the CBT instead of them having to scour the city looking for them. Their passengers have more than doubled as well.”

Citing some figures, Liew admitted that only 700 passengers used the new city shuttle bus service on the first day but this increased to 6,000 on the second day and 12,000 by the third day.

The new city shuttle bus service prohibits the mini bus services and regular buses from the city proper. They have to pick up their passengers from the central bus terminal (CBT) opposite Wawasan Plaza and avoid the city centre altogether as they make their way to the suburbs and destinations outside the city limits.

However, operators of buses stationed opposite the High Court building in Kota Kinabalu have been given more time to shift to the CBT.

Even so, it appears that congestion at notorious spots like the Hotel Shangri-La and Cathay cinema bus stops have eased considerably under the new system.

City buses should not wait more than 15 minutes

According to the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) Sabah secretary, Ariffin Samsuddin, the city bus services has two sectors with each plying two routes. Six new buses are in service and another 16 buses are on order from Kuala Lumpur.

“Those who flout the new regulations will be dealt with according to the law,” warned Ariffin. “We will enforce the new regulations together with City Hall, the Road Transport Department and City Hall.”

“The city bus should not wait at a stop for more than 15 minutes even if it’s empty. It should leave the bus stop so that passengers can reach their destination on time.”

The free city shuttle bus service is the first stage in a transport study for Sabah. The study includes proposals for a Light Rail Transit (LRT) public transport system in Kota Kinabalu.

The focus of the study, according to Liew in Sandakan recently, is networks, performance, reliability, market access and productivity.