Terminal bus Bandar Tasik Selatan opens tomorrow

Terminal bus Bandar Tasik Selatan opens tomorrow

The Integrated Transportation Terminal Bandar Tasik Selatan (ITT-BTS) is set to open tomorrow despite a Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry directive postponing it to Feb 2.

The ministry’s secretary-general, Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib, said the terminal would be opened on Feb 2 simultaneously with the Puduraya bus terminal.

“In accordance to the views of residents, the ministry is urging the Public Private Partnership Unit (Ukas) and Maju TMAS (Terminal Management & Services) to review the distribution of the retail lots and price,” said Phesal.

Phesal added that the ministry and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) as well as the Federal Territories Lands and Mines Office would make sure that the areas that needed to be handed over to the government for recreational purposes would be implemented as determined in the development order issued by the DBKL.

“The DBKL has also issued notices to the company to remove obstructions which prevented people from entering the recreational areas. If the obstructions are not removed, the DBKL will take action,” he said.

However, Maju TMAS managing director Roslan Datuk Shariff confirmed that the terminal would be open tomorrow as scheduled.

“Our instructions are to open on Jan 1. We have checked and the order still stands,” he said.

The terminal will cater to buses plying routes to the south and will take over a major part of the services of the Puduraya terminal.

“We opened our doors a month ago to the public to view the place before it is officially open,” said Roslan.

Set in the heart of Bandar Tasik Selatan, the terminal is well linked to the ERL, Ampang LRT line as well as the KTM Komuter. There are intercity buses and taxis as well as city buses and taxis to provide access both in and out of the terminal.

The terminal has 55 platform bays and 110 holding bays. No operator will be given the same platform which will reduce any hogging at the bays.

Invitation letters were sent to the 190 bus operators to engage them in discussions with Maju. A total of 10 have responded so far.

There are 18 ticketing counters, two e-ticketing counters and one for disabled users. There will not be individual counters for each bus operator, thus eradicating the tout problem that has been rampant at Puduraya and the temporary terminal in Bukit Jalil.

“Passengers will go to the ticketing counter and choose a bus operator departing at that time. They can choose from the available seats and a ticket will be issued with their name, seat number and bus number,” added Roslan.

“You are in a bus terminal but the atmosphere is of an airport,” he added.

There are 1,800 seats in the terminal and the public information display system will keep passengers informed of bus arrivals and departures.

Before boarding the bus, passengers will have to scan their tickets and proceed to the departure bay within 15 minutes.

For now there is a fast food restaurant, a food court, money changer, outlets selling apparel and shoes as well as ATM machines.

During a media familiarisation trip to the terminal yesterday, reporters were taken on a walkabout to understand the operations better.

Roslan said the architecture of both the arrival and departure bays were designed to provide a well ventilated terminal.

“We have machines to check the carbon emission from the buses as well as a suction machine to absorb the smoke,” he added.

Parking will not pose a problem as there are more than 1,000 parking bays and plans are under way to provide at least 300 bays for women only.

To ensure the safety of passengers, there are about 500 closed circuit cameras as well as 250 auxilliary police officers with a police beat in the arrival hall.

He hoped to bring in north-bound bus operators since the terminal was equipped to handle a large crowd.

-News courtesy of The Star-