If you frequently commute using public transport, then you will no doubt have experienced the hassle that recent service interruptions along the Kelana Jaya LRT line will have caused. For those unaware, a whopping 16 stations along the line have been closed for up to a week until November 15th, 2022, to facilitate in repair works on the Automatic Train Control (ATC) system. To compensate for the closures, RapidKL has provided free shuttle bus services that will ferry commuters from designated stations until the Kelana Jaya line returns to full operational capacity.
However, reports from local news outlets suggest that the bus services have been struggling to cope with demand, and have instead led to long-lines and delays.
RapidKL shuttle bus drops commuters off along busy highway at night
Beyond that, one commuter who was recently on-board one of these free shuttle buses took to sharing her own lackluster experience over social media. Recounting her ordeal, netizen @leesaveslee explained that due to the station closures along Kelana Jaya at the time, she was left with no choice but to take a detour by boarding the Monorail to Bukit Bintang, before switching on to the MRT to Pasar Seni, where she waited for the shuttle service.
The shuttle bus that she boarded was supposed to have transported commuters from Pasar Seni to Ara Damansara. And yet much to their surprise, it wound up stopping along a major highway before dropping them off by the roadside at 9.19pm.
In a video that was provided in the thread, Leesa shows how a line of passengers from the shuttle bus, which also included herself, had no choice but to walk dangerously along the busy freeway towards the Glenmarie LRT station, which was located further down the road.
“This is the only video I managed to record because I’m so tired. From 6pm to 9pm, we only reached Glenmarie.” she wrote.
Speaking with WauPost over the ordeal, Leesa said it took her four hours to reach home, as she left her office at 5.30pm and only arrived at the Ara Damansara LRT station at 9.45pm. According to her, the bus driver claims not to know how to get to the Lembah Subang LRT station, which was the final station that he was supposed to have dropped the commuters.
Thankfully, Leesa reassured concerned netizens that she managed to make it home safely.
Social media users condemn driver for exposing commuters to danger
With that said, social media users have criticised the bus driver for lacking consideration and potentially putting the lives of commuters at risk by dropping them along a busy highway.
“What kind of bus stops along a highway at night? How dangerous, that’s a major road and could lead to an accident!”
“That’s the thing about RapidKL bus drivers. Some of them never think of others. Would they do this if their families were in the bus?”
“Isn’t there always a bus lane that allows them to drop passengers off properly? Why did they leave you guys like this? How sadistic!”
“Nevermind how exhausted you are after work. Then you need to walk on foot too. And it’s also so dangerous to walk along a road like that. No solid backup plan at all. Are the management asleep this whole time?”
In responding to netizen queries, Leesa said that she decided to drive to work after the incident, and even offered to carpool with three other commuters to spare them the long wait at the LRT stations.
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Also read: LATEST: 16 LRT stations from Ampang Park to Kelana Jaya will be closed for 7 days
