Information about the Puduraya facelift planned by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri and Federal Territories Minister Thamby Nong Chik have come to our attention.
Because of the importance of this topic we at TRANSIT have decided to give it a separate posting.
For regular updates about information about the Puduraya facelift, follow the Puduraya Facelift thread on skyscrapercity.com at this link.
The articles follow below.
The Malay Mail Puduraya to get facelift
RM30m upgrade to be completed next year
Pearl Lee
Friday, July 3rd, 2009 07:39:00
UDA managing director Datuk Jaafar Abu Hassan said yesterday the company welcomed the Prime Minister's comments to upgrade the building for the comfort of the people.
BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE: Jaafar (right) answering
questions from the media on the newlook Puduraya
ALL is set for Puduraya to be the landmark of KL after its upgrading works are completed by the end of next year.
UDA managing director Datuk Jaafar Abu Hassan said yesterday the company welcomed the Prime Minister’s comments to upgrade the building for the comfort of the people.
“There would also be a banking hall concept with around 10-12 counters that would provide electronic ticketing services. We feel this would tackle the tout problem,” Jaafar said.
He added that currently Puduraya caters for between 75,000 to 80,000 people on a weekday and over 100,000 people on weekends, excluding festive seasons.
When asked if upgrading works for the terminal could cope with the demands when Puduraya is fully converted into a city bus terminal, Jaafar said: “The refurbishment works is to cater for current needs that are pressing. We are not doing it for that (city bus terminal).”
The three-stage makeover, which will cost a total of RM30.3 million, will see the 33-year-old bus hub being refurbished with escalators, walkalators, a bigger and more comfortable waiting area akin to that found at airports.
Electronic ticket booking facilities will also be introduced.
A budget of RM25m that will be used for the refurbishment works was tabled at the Finance Ministry and was approved by the government.
Stage one of the refurbishing works, which would costs RM5.3 million, is funded wholly by UDA Holdings Berhad and ongoing works include upgrading the fire resistance system, building a pedestrian walkway between the Plaza Rakyat LRT station and Puduraya, painting works, upgrading of toilets as well as adding more waiting areas at the mezzanine level.
Other initiatives taken under the second and third phases would include a new food court and surau, adding of more passenger lifts, introduction of children playing area, additional cargo lifts and replacing new exhaust fans at the basement.
There would also be facilities such as toilets and ramps to cater for the disabled.
Puduraya presently houses southern and northern bound buses at its premises.
The new Integrated Transport Terminal-Southern Sector (ITT-S) in Bandar Tasik Selatan is due to be completed by the end of next year and would see the operations of southern bound buses from Puduraya shifted there.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz had said that Puduraya would be turned into a city bus terminal, and a new bus hub to cater for northern bound buses would be built either in Gombak or Selayang.
UDA to take over Puduraya Hotel
THE operations of Puduraya Hotel will be taken over by UDA Holdings Sdn Bhd by next year.
This was made known by UDA managing director Datuk Jaafar Abu Hassan at a Press conference yesterday.
Though the hotel was built in 1976, the management and running of the hotel was leased to Puduraya Hotel Sdn Bhd.
“In the past we did not have experience in the hotel industry and thus it was rented out. We have, however, been toying with the idea to take over the running of the hotel for the past six to seven years. Now that we will be spending a lot to refurbish Puduraya, we think it is fit for us to run the hotel as well.”
Jaafar said the hotel would be managed by Uda AnCasa Sdn Bhd by Feb 1.
“We are also taking over the Puduraya Hotel operations in light of the upgrading being carried out in Puduraya.”
Notices too have been served to the current operators of the hotel.
The group presently operates AnCasa Hotel and Spa KL, AnCasa AllSuites Resort & Spa Port Dickson, Jerejak Rainforest Resort Penang, and Kuala Terengganu Golf Resort.
THE 30-year-old Puduraya bus terminal in Kuala Lumpur infamous for congestion, pollution and crime will soon be losing its seedy image once it undergoes a facelift that will see it transformed into a modern inner-city terminal with contemporary design and first- class facilities.
The facelift, which is estimated to cost RM31mil, with a government funding of RM25mil is aimed at providing travellers and visitors a more conducive and comfortable environment, UDA Holdings managing director Datuk Jaafar Abu Hassan said.
The major upgrade and facelift will include three phases — short, medium and long term that will start immediately and is expected to be completed in November next year.
Modern: The waiting area will have small kiosks for the traders in Puduraya. [How much room for passengers will be left?]
Upon completion, travellers can expect to see several posh waiting areas with better ventilation and brighter lighting and newer toilets within the building.
“Our short-term plans include upgrading the fire-fighting systems, building a sheltered pedestrian walkway from Puduraya to the Plaza Rakyat Star LRT station, upgrading of the toilets and the waiting areas at the mezzanine floor and setting up a taxi coupon system to curb touting,’’ Jaafar said, adding that for this the company has allocated RM5.3mil.
The medium phase will see the lifts upgraded, the construction of tickets counters at Level 1, construction of a food court at Level 4, which is now operating as a car park and replacing the exhaust fans at basement level.
Long-term plans will see the upgrading of the various waiting areas located at Level 1, mezzanine floor.
Ten escalators will be added, as well as lifts for the public and cargo to increase passenger mobility and curb congestion.
To be ugraded: The fourth floor that is currently a carpark will be converted to a food court.
UDA Holdings will also be taking over the management of Hotel Puduraya, which will also be upgraded eventually.
Apart from the modern facade, traders operating at the terminal will eventually have to be relocated to a more modernised kiosk-like setting.
When asked if there would be an increase in rental rates, Jaafar said: “We will look into the needs of the current traders who are renting there.
“While I cannot say much about that now, rental will be staggered,’’ he said.
Jaafar added that UDA Holdings would be working together with the Federal Territories Ministry, the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board under the Prime Minister’s Department and the Finance Ministry to tackle the problems relating to the city’s oldest bus terminal.
He added that after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s walkabout session in April, the Puduraya area was identified as a major source of the daily massive traffic congestion in Kuala Lumpur and that immediate steps were needed to improve the situation.
TRANSIT Says:
It is hard to argue with modernization, as long as the core needs of passengers are met. That means that the bus service must be safe, reliable, comfortable and reasonably frequent.
Everything else is just details.
The articles suggest that the powers that be are finally paying attention to the issues at Puduraya and are looking to make major changes.
TRANSIT aims to be a part of the process of decision making and we encourage you to give your feedback as often as possible.
Might as well shift it entirely somewhere else, now. Closing it as good as shifting it permanently. Well-known cause of traffic congestion in the area. History will repeat itself, could be even worse. Smells something smelly in the air….
Transit Malaysia 
One reply on “Puduraya Facelift”
Might as well shift it entirely somewhere else, now. Closing it as good as shifting it permanently. Well-known cause of traffic congestion in the area. History will repeat itself, could be even worse. Smells something smelly in the air….