Lalaport BBCC mall is the new KL-SG bus hub; 1 Utama, IOI City Mall, Sunway Pyramid soon – Loke

KL-Singapore commuters, do you have fond (or sad, leaving is sometimes difficult) memories of boarding the Aeroline at KL’s Corus Hotel? The bus company’s base at the famous old hotel opposite KLCC is no more, as the hotel has shut down following the sale of the land from Malayan United Industries (MUI) to developer Mah Sing.

Good news. Lalaport Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC) is close to receiving official approval as a licensed public transport hub, focusing on bus services from KL to Singapore. According to transport minister Anthony Loke, Lalaport is ‘almost fully ready’ and the ministry could issue a license as early as next month.

“In terms of licensing, the ministry is working closely with all relevant parties including the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), to expedite the process,” Loke said, reported by Malay Mail. He added that approval from DBKL is required and APAD will issue licences once all conditions have been met.

The Seremban MP confirmed that express bus operators running KL-SG services have been granted a three-month grace period to continue operating at existing roadside locations without enforcement action. It’s to give operators time to transition to safer and properly designed terminals or transport hubs once they were ready – no more roadside stops in the future.

“At present, only one or two operators have begun operating from Lalaport, with three to four operators expected to relocate there in due course. The primary focus is on operators that previously stopped at Berjaya Times Square and Corus Hotel, both of which have been deemed unsuitable, particularly due to traffic congestion and passenger safety concerns,” Loke explained.

He said that among the locations reviewed so far, Lalaport was found to be the most ready and suitable, particularly for KL-SG express bus services. “Other locations such as 1 Utama in PJ, IOI City Mall in Putrajaya and Sunway Pyramid will require additional time to complete facility upgrades,” he said, adding that Terminal Bersepadu Selatan and Terminal Bersepadu Gombak serve different segments.

This has to be good news for KL-SG bus regulars, and not too big of a change in terms of boarding location. Being a mall, Lalaport has F&B outlets and is a short walk to Bukit Bintang. It’s also close to the Hang Tuah LRT and Monorail stations.

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