Monday April 19, 2010
By YIP YOKE TENG, the Star
A NEW bus terminal was opened on Saturday at Damansara Damai, Petaling Jaya, by mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman.
The 0.5ha bus terminal built by Medan Prestasi Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of MK Land Holdings Berhad, will be in operation from May as a boost to the current public transportation system.
Named Wan’s Central bus terminal, its construction cost RM1.9mil and its facilities include seven bays for buses, 33 shop units, 22 public parking bays, 20 motorcycle parking bays, two surau and washrooms.
“The bus terminal will benefit the 100,000 residents of this fast developing township,” said Roslan.
“Damansara Damai has always been a ‘heavyweight’ among the housing estates that are under the purview of MBPJ as there have always been many complaints from here. We are monitoring closely and I see improvements today,” he added.
He also commended the developer for its efforts in greening the township, which echoed the council’s call to make the city sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Also present were MK Land Holdings Bhd’s executive chairman Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar, Medan Prestasi Sdn Bhd group general manager Kamarulzaman Abu Bakar, Metrobus Nationwide Sdn Bhd adviser Datuk Rani Abd Rashid, Selangor Omnibus Co Ltd managing director Yap Thin Loy and RapidKL Sdn Bhd regional head Aminza Abdul Aziz.
“I hope with this bus terminal, no bus will be parked indiscriminately by the roadside. If they do, we will ensure that the vehicles will be towed once the roads here are surrendered to the council in two months,” he added.
He also urged traders, especially those who were peddling on road kerbs, to legalise their business by shifting into the bus terminal and at the same time benefit from its affordable rental.
During the press conference, Roslan said he hoped bus operators would take punctuality seriously to provide Petaling Jaya residents with a reliable bus service system that could be an alternative to driving.
Added facility: Wan’s Central bus terminal facilities include seven bays for buses, 33 shop units, parking bays, surau and washroom.
“We will start here and soon we will have more buses making use of this terminal. Then we will make the bus terminal at Jalan Othman equally successful,” he added.
Wan’s Central bus terminal is currently used by about 30 buses plying seven routes. The buses connect Damansara Damai with nearby townships, the KTM stations in Kepong Sentral and Sungai Buloh, Kuala Lumpur. Round-the-clock taxi service is also available.
The main bus routes are Jalan Kepong to Sungai Buloh (Jalan Persekutuan 54), North-South Highway (Sungai Buloh exit), Damansara-Puchong Highway and MRR2 Kepong to Kuala Lumpur.
Mustapha said the terminal and its services would alleviate traffic congestion in Petaling Jaya by providing an alternative to driving.
“This area has a population of 200,000 and providing bus service here can remove thousands of cars from the roads,” he said, adding that residents from other parts of Petaling Jaya could always make use of the convenience provided by the bus terminal.
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