TRANSIT took note of two very interesting articles highlighting Puduraya terminal and plans for changes to public transport service.
The first article, RTD, SPAD booths at obscure corner (NST 11 May 2011) public transport users at Puduraya complain that the Road Transport Department and Land Public Transport Commission offices at Puduraya are located in “obscure” areas and should actually be located closer to the passenger waiting areas.
In the second article, UDA wants to take over bus services (NST, 11 May 2011) describes a proposal from UDA Holdings to take over the operations of East Coast bus services currently operating at Terminal Putra, and move them to Puduraya.
Both the RTD and SPAD offices are hidden from view. — Picture by Hazreen Mohamad, NST
KUALA LUMPUR: Since its official opening on April 16, the newly renovated Puduraya bus terminal has been receiving good feedback from passengers.
However, one complaint that Streets has been receiving from a few readers is that the Road Transport Department (RTD) and Public Land Transport Commission (SPAD) booths are at obscure places within the terminal.
Located on the mezzanine floor (waiting area), many passengers said the booths were somewhat hidden.
[TRANSIT: We have been pushing SPAD to have a strong presence at Puduraya to deter touts as well as provide an avenue for dialogue & information with passengers. They appear to be doing a lot to “catch” touts or push them out of the premises, but building the relationship with the public is just as important.]
Tham Woon Mun, 35, from Shah Alam said he didn’t notice the booth.
“This is my first time here since its opening and I didn’t even realise that there’s a RTD and SPAD booth here. They should put a signboard to inform passengers,” said Tham, who was there waiting for his mother from Penang.
Tham also said he wasn’t aware of the food court in the building.
Nurshazwani Nordin, 26, who was waiting to board the bus to Penang said the booths should be relocated to a more strategic location.
“The booths should be located where passengers either walk past or sit,” said Nurshazwani, who was accompanied by her friend Mohd Salehin Mazelan, 26, from Malacca.
UDA Holdings Bhd corporate service division head Abd Rashid Atan said they were aware of the problem.
“We are waiting for approval from City Hall to place the signages at certain places including the platform area. In fact, the signage at the information counter is also not very strategic,” said Rashid.
The terminal’s enforcement officers were seen assisting passengers with directions as well as attending to queries and complaints.
TRANSIT Says:
Not a terrible thing – the fact that SPAD actually has a presence at Puduraya is a step forward. But what we want to see is a public and visible presence. We want to see the light of SPAD & JPJ / RTD shining into the dark crevices that still exist in Puduraya, to send the ulat and cockroaches scurrying.
Poetic, no? Again, SPAD & JPJ are just there for enforcement – they are also there to build a relationship with public transport users – either through interaction with passengers & providing directions, as well as providing a safe place to complain & give feedback, as well as being a source of information for the public as well.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry is considering the proposal by Urban Development Authority (UDA) Holdings to take over operations of East Coast bound express bus services at Terminal Putra.
If it materialises, the operations of the 22-year-old Terminal Putra at the Putra World Trade Centre will be moved to the new Puduraya bus terminal.
Terminal Putra started operations in 1989 and is managed by City Hall.
Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin reiterated that UDA has approached his ministry requesting to manage the East Coast express bus services as its now handling the newly renovated Puduraya terminal.
“The ministry is considering the request and will give its decision soon,” he said.
TRANSIT Says:
We find the proposal to have UDA Holdings take over east coast-bound bus services and move them to Puduraya to be an interesting one.
As you might know, there is already a plan to move East Coast-bound and Pahang-bound bus services to the Integrated Transport Terminal at Gombak. Moving the east coast-bound buses to Puduraya would consolidate northbound and east coast-bound bus operations at a single terminal, which would be convenient for the traveling public.
More importantly, it would allow DBKL to focus on revamping Terminal Putra as a staging and holding area for stage buses serving the northern and western suburban areas outside of Kuala Lumpur – corridors like Jalan Ipoh, Jalan Kuching, Jalan Kepong, Jalan Duta, and Jalan Damansara. This would help both operators and passengers since it would provide a convenient holding area for buses with quick access to both KTM Komuter services (at the Putra Halt) and the Ampang LRT line (at PWTC station).
TRANSIT envisions a new Terminal Putra, still run by DBKL, with parking areas for stage buses, parking areas (for those who still want to drive to KL but not into KL), taxi services and an expanded RapidKL City Shuttle bus (to get into KL) as well as the services needed by commuters – handphone, sundry & laundry shops as well as places to get snacks & meals.
6 replies on “Puduraya: More updates & interesting information”
Just wondering out loud,
wouldn’t creating a centre interchange for all buses be more efficient than to create a Puduraya (north bound) and a Bandar Tasik Selatan (south bound) terminal?
it only creates confusion and inconvenience to tourist and even locals.
a terminal similar to KL Sentral for buses will be a plus to improving the overall services.
Hi @Sugg
That’s a very good question and brings up a part of our public transport history – the incomplete commercial development, bus terminal and LRT station at the centre of KL called Plaza Rakyat.
Plaza Rakyat was supposed to be the central terminal for buses, replacing Puduraya. As far as we know, most of the bus terminal is complete, but as you can see the development is still stalled.
Federal Territories Minister after Federal Territories Minister have promised to revive Plaza Rakyat but nothing has happened.
Another “what if” possibility: what if KL Sentral had been built on the site now occupied by the MidValley Megamall? Like the current station site, the site of MidValley Megamall. The sites are approximately the same size, but the proximity of the MidValley site to the Federal Highway, Jalan Istana, Jalan Klang Lama and Jalan Syed Putra would have made it an ideal site for an integrated railway station and bus terminal.
As for separating the services by direction and moving the terminals to the outskirts of the city – I agree that it is inconvenient but this is an unfortunate reflection of the Malaysian view of public transport – that buses cause road congestion and therefore must be moved out of the city centre.
Regards, Moaz for TRANSIT
I think a lot of you have forgot one very important thing, for SPAD, commercial space and any space at any public transport terminal must optimize in the area of profit first, profit is PARAMOUNT, supersede the welfare and wellbeings of the users/komuters/passengers, no wonder SPAD counter is at such an obscure/remoted corner,
@Jeffrey
SPAD does not own the terminal, nor are they involved in the management of the terminal. They would have whatever space they could lease – and it is likely that these obscure spots have lower rental costs than a prime location.
We will have to see what happens with the teething problems at Puduraya and Bandar Tasik Selatan in the future.
Regards, Moaz for TRANSIT
Hi @Jeffrey
SPAD is a public transport regulator. They are not the owner of Puduraya or Bandar Tasik Selatan – nor do they provide management services.
SPAD and JPJ take the offices that they can lease out, just as any other company would. It’s quite likely that these areas were chosen because they were available, affordable, and located near passengers (in the mezzanine waiting area) – but as usual signage and information is poor.
At least this has forced SPAD and JPJ officers to get out of their offices and interact with the public within the terminal.
Regards, Moaz for TRANSIT
@Moaz Transitmy
Hopefully their interactions with the public and moving out from their office will really “CHANGED” the “ACTUAL” situations. I don’t hope to see things remain unchanged although we have a brand newly refurbished bus terminal. Like an old Chinese saying goes, “换汤不换药”, you changed the ingredients of the concoctions but the herbs and spices are still the same.
Transit Malaysia 
6 replies on “Puduraya: More updates & interesting information”
Just wondering out loud,
wouldn’t creating a centre interchange for all buses be more efficient than to create a Puduraya (north bound) and a Bandar Tasik Selatan (south bound) terminal?
it only creates confusion and inconvenience to tourist and even locals.
a terminal similar to KL Sentral for buses will be a plus to improving the overall services.
Hi @Sugg
That’s a very good question and brings up a part of our public transport history – the incomplete commercial development, bus terminal and LRT station at the centre of KL called Plaza Rakyat.
Plaza Rakyat was supposed to be the central terminal for buses, replacing Puduraya. As far as we know, most of the bus terminal is complete, but as you can see the development is still stalled.
Federal Territories Minister after Federal Territories Minister have promised to revive Plaza Rakyat but nothing has happened.
Another “what if” possibility: what if KL Sentral had been built on the site now occupied by the MidValley Megamall? Like the current station site, the site of MidValley Megamall. The sites are approximately the same size, but the proximity of the MidValley site to the Federal Highway, Jalan Istana, Jalan Klang Lama and Jalan Syed Putra would have made it an ideal site for an integrated railway station and bus terminal.
As for separating the services by direction and moving the terminals to the outskirts of the city – I agree that it is inconvenient but this is an unfortunate reflection of the Malaysian view of public transport – that buses cause road congestion and therefore must be moved out of the city centre.
Regards, Moaz for TRANSIT
I think a lot of you have forgot one very important thing, for SPAD, commercial space and any space at any public transport terminal must optimize in the area of profit first, profit is PARAMOUNT, supersede the welfare and wellbeings of the users/komuters/passengers, no wonder SPAD counter is at such an obscure/remoted corner,
@Jeffrey
SPAD does not own the terminal, nor are they involved in the management of the terminal. They would have whatever space they could lease – and it is likely that these obscure spots have lower rental costs than a prime location.
We will have to see what happens with the teething problems at Puduraya and Bandar Tasik Selatan in the future.
Regards, Moaz for TRANSIT
Hi @Jeffrey
SPAD is a public transport regulator. They are not the owner of Puduraya or Bandar Tasik Selatan – nor do they provide management services.
SPAD and JPJ take the offices that they can lease out, just as any other company would. It’s quite likely that these areas were chosen because they were available, affordable, and located near passengers (in the mezzanine waiting area) – but as usual signage and information is poor.
At least this has forced SPAD and JPJ officers to get out of their offices and interact with the public within the terminal.
Regards, Moaz for TRANSIT
@Moaz Transitmy
Hopefully their interactions with the public and moving out from their office will really “CHANGED” the “ACTUAL” situations. I don’t hope to see things remain unchanged although we have a brand newly refurbished bus terminal. Like an old Chinese saying goes, “换汤不换药”, you changed the ingredients of the concoctions but the herbs and spices are still the same.