TBSBTS Update: The terminal is operational 1 March 2011 (Update #2)

• Updated with an excellent set of photos compiled by Sam79 of the Skyscrapercity.com forum!
• Updated with additional articles!

TRANSIT notes that the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (Southern Integrated Terminal) at Bandar Tasik Selatan is now ‘officially’ open and the Bukit Jalil temporary terminal will be ‘officially’ closed to southbound buses (some northbound buses may still operate at Bukit Jalil).

We have added some articles on the changeover below. Follow this post for further updates!

• BTS-ITT fully operational today, Bukit Jalil terminal closed (Malay Mail via Bernama);
• Some still go to Bukit Jalil terminal (Streets-NST);
• Buses running smoothly at ITT (Streets-NST);
• Semua pihak puas hati (Utusan Malaysia);
• Bus operators slowly making their presence felt at ITT-BTS (The Star);
• Southbound buses now operating at Bandar Tasik Selatan (Malay Mail);

TRANSIT Says:

As above, follow this post for further updates. You may also be interested in the following, a letter in The Star based on a statement from TRANSIT:

SPAD presence vital (The Star)

1 March 2011

FIFTY bus operators are to move to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan at Bandar Tasik Selatan today.

Their presence will be welcomed, as many had been worried how such an important project can be so poorly managed.

Aside from the bus operators, the Association For The Improvement Of Mass Transit (TRANSIT) wants to know what kind of a presence the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) will have at the terminal.

One of the biggest issues with public transport in Malaysia is the lack of enforcement of regulations.

The Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (the former regulator, now replaced by SPAD) often complained that they did not have enough enforcement officers and that it was hard to get the public to make formal complaints about touting, fare manipulation, aggressive behaviour, etc.

SPAD is supposed to have at least 500 enforcement officers (compared to CVLB which had less than 60), which would hopefully address the issue of not having enough personnel.

But if they have no regular, reliable presence at the bus terminals, how will the public be able to complain and give feedback right away?

We have already noted complaints about overcharging and aggressive behaviour at the terminal.

In other words, the troubles that plague our public transport system are already starting and SPAD must prevent this as soon as possible.

We want a dedicated SPAD desk to be placed at Terminal Bersepadu Selatan. It would act as a SPAD customer service counter for suggestions and feedback, as well as establish a permanent presence for SPAD enforcement teams.

Once Puduraya is reopened, a similar desk should be set up there, as well as at KL Sentral, Hentian Duta, KLIA and LCCT, the future Gombak and Sg. Buloh terminals, as well as major bus terminals throughout Peninsular Malaysia.

And we would like to invite SPAD chairman Syed Hamid Albar, SPAD CEO Mohd Nur Ismal Kamal as well as other senior management to spend time at the SPAD desk, even just an hour per month each, so that the public can see who is in charge of SPAD and know that their concerns will be addressed directly.

This is the kind of proactive, “People First, Performance Now” attitude that SPAD must display in order to bring about change to public transport in Peninsular Malaysia.

MOAZ YUSUF AHMAD,

The Association For The Improvement Of Mass Transit.