Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) expressed serious concern regarding the BAS.MY service, which is currently undermined by the partial rollout of its full fleet.
Out of the promised 48 buses
(pic), only 10 have been put into service — six allocated to Route S05 and four to Route S01.
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“While the lack of buses has limited the service to only two out of eight planned routes, the ‘mega-loop’ design adopted by the operator is the actual factor driving passengers away,” said Vice President Gee Tee Siong.
“This design creates a logistical nightmare for commuters, as the resulting one-way circular framework is fundamentally flawed.
“For instance, a student or resident travelling from Sunny Garden (at the Monocolo Boutique Hotel stop) to SM Shan Tao may enjoy a direct five-stop journey, but because the current route maps lack a return service on the opposite side of the road, the trip home becomes a 30-stop detour via UMS, 1Borneo and KK Central just to reach their starting point.
“A trip that should take minutes is being turned into an hour-long ordeal,” he added.
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While the Government promotes the RM30 Unlimited Monthly Pass as a cost-saving benefit, Gee said this heavily subsidised fare cannot compensate for the excessive time consumed by these circuitous routes.
“These empty buses will continue to burn diesel as long as they follow a design (partially in service) that prioritises covering a map over serving the actual direction of travel needed by residents,” he said.
He called for immediate transparency regarding the 38 missing buses and a firm, public timeline for their delivery.
Furthermore, until the full fleet arrives, Gee demanded that the authorities either implement a reverse loop to allow for two-way travel or restructure the temporary routes entirely.
