BTS Terminal may be ready by middle of this year!

TRANSIT was invited to visit the Bandar Tasik Selatan terminal to help local accessibility organizations Mobiliti, Beautiful Gate and BEAT-KL (Barrier-free Environment and Accessible Transportation) review the facilities of the Bandar Tasik Selatan terminal

Unfortunately, no one from TRANSIT was able to attend due to unforeseeable circumstances (and at the last minute, too).

We seem to have missed a great opportunity to photograph the interior of the terminal and report on the facilities – but we promise that we will be asking the people at Mobiliti, Beautiful Gate and BEAT-KL to report on the experience for us!

In the meantime, enjoy this article, which quotes the Minister of Transport as saying that the Bandar Tasik Selatan Terminal may be ready by middle of this year!

Terminal may be ready by middle of this year (The Star)
26 April 2010

KUALA LUMPUR: The Southern Integrated Transportation Terminal in Bandar Tasik Selatan could be ready by July, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat. He said the developer hinted that there could be an early completion for the project by middle this year. The project was originally scheduled to be completed in November this year.

“The terminal will cater to all types of transportation. We will have the bus services, taxi and rail services including the light rail transit, Keretapi Tanah Melayu’s commuter train service and Express Rail Link under one roof.

“This terminal is also connected to the Sungai Besi Highway, Kuala Lumpur Seremban Highway, and the Middle Ring Road II,” he told newsmen after visiting the project site in Bandar Tasik Selatan here Monday.

The RM570mil terminal is located on 19.8ha site adjacent to the Tasik Selatan’s LRT station and the Tasik Selatan KTM Komuter station. It has a handling capacity of about 40,000 passengers a day.

It will handle all express buses serving the southern part of Peninsula Malaysia. Ong said the terminal would help divert express buses from the city and ease traffic congestion in the process.

“The southern sector receives nearly 550 departures and arrivals in a day. There are more than 170 movements in an hour during peak hours,” he said.

Ong said the comfort level for passengers was similar to an airport terminal.

“There is 2.8 square metre per person in the terminal whereas in an airport, there is 2.3 square metre per person,” he explained.

Ong added he was optimistic the terminal and other measures such as the streamlining of bus stops, increasing the number of carriages for the LRTs as well as the impending introduction of new rail services would increase the use of public transport in the city from 16% to 25% by 2012.

When asked if the terminal would eventually take over the south bound express buses in Puduraya, Ong replied that it would be under the jurisdiction of the Federal Territories Minister to redesignate the movement of the buses.

[TRANSIT: This is a bit of a surprise – why would it be under the Jurisdiction of the Federal Territories Minister? Unless, perhaps the FT Minister has a role in the Land Public Transport Commission, (SPAD)???]

However, he said all south bound public transport services would be centred at the new terminal.

The terminal is equipped with ICT facilities and is disabled friendly. There will be 100 bus waiting bays, 21 departure bays and 18 arrival bays which has the capacity of 130 departures and arrivals in an hour.

[TRANSIT: We promise a complete and detailed briefing about the terminal & facilities when we get the info.]

It will also have 16 bus platforms for city routes, 100 bus parking bays, 150 taxi bays and 1,000 public parking bays.

TRANSIT Says:

We would have really loved to attend the visit to the terminal today. Hopefully, we will be able to arrange another visit. In the meantime, take a look for the above article in the Star newspaper on Tuesday.