Commuting in the new RapidPenang bus, between one's home at the foot of Penang Hill and the workplace about 8km away in Paya Terubong is a breezing ride indeed.

RapidPenang buses are fast, clean and the drivers are friendly. But whether this will last in the long run, remains to be seen.

"The new broom sweeps well," observed Bus Users Group (Bug) spokesperson BK Ong.

"After all RapidPenang has the financial capacity to run an efficient, regular, reliable and affordable service. There is no room for poor service or excuses," he said.

RapidPenang is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rangkaian Pengangkutan Intergrasi Deras Sdn Bhd or RapidKL, which is the Finance Ministry Incorporated's (Mof Inc) - wholly owned public transport company.

However, some claim that RapidPenang's 'one-man bus operation' although cost-effective, poses a problem in terms of safety.

In once incident, an elderly woman nearly fell off the bus she was boarding when the driver unintentionally closed the mechanical door and drove off.

Fortunately, other passengers alerted the driver and the bus came to a halt.

Any mishap would have caused a stir and triggered bad publicity for RapidPenang, which has been under scrutiny since its introduction in Penang on July 31, 2007.

A passenger who wished to be identified only as Grace, 54, suggested that stage buses have conductors, not only to facilitate the ticketing process but also to ensure the safety of commuters.

A conductor, rather than rear and side mirrors, would be a more decisive 'monitor' for the driver to ensure the safety of passengers.

Moreover, conductors would allow passengers to board a bus faster as commuters need not line up on the staircase to insert their fare into the collection box.

Buses in neighbouring states like Perak, Kedah and Perlis still maintain the dual driver-conductor system.

Hike in bus fare

With the introduction of RapidPenang, the bus fare has also seen an increase. Previously, a bus ride from Komtar to Bayan Lepas would cost RM1.80, now it is RM2.50.

BUG and opposition party DAP have proposed to the RapidPenang management to introduce a seasonal fare system, including daily, weekly and monthly tickets. They also called for discount passes for students and senior citizens.

When contacted, RapidPenang CEO Douglas David said the bus company was looking into the matter.

The good news for Penangites is that the arrival of RapidPenang has definitely improved the bus service on the island.

Facing stiff competition, existing buses, such as Transit Link, Milan Travel and KGN-Hin Bus Co, have also improved their service to match public expectation.

Other complaints regarding RapidPenang buses are that they are irregular along certain routes and that the operator has not been plying some routes.

According to RapidPenang's guidebook, a wait for RapidPenang buses in routes such as between Weld Quay and Paya Terubong via Air Itam, Weld Quay and Paya Terubong via Bandar Baru Air Itam should be between 20 and 30 minutes.

However, a commuter, who declined to be named, claimed that he had to wait for nearly 45 minutes to board a bus.

Similarly, a tourist complained that he waited for an hour at the Komtar bus interchange for a bus to Pepper Estate, which is near Tanjung Tokong.

David explained that the delay could have been caused by unexpected traffic congestion.

Meanwhile, Ong said the local municipality should designate exclusive bus lanes to overcome delays caused by traffic.

RapidPenang has promised to add another 100 new buses from China to strengthen its present 150-bus fleet operation.