Hop on, KK: BAS.MY pink buses expand eight routes, easing commutes across the city

Kota Kinabalu, Aug 14 — The newly introduced fixed-schedule BAS.MY "pink bus" service in the city, which began operations on April 1, has expanded from its initial two routes to a full eight routes, S01 to S08. The additional routes, S02, S03, S04, S06, S07 and S08, officially commenced on Tuesday, offering commuters more options for traveling around the city and its surrounding areas.

Since its launch, the service has already attracted significant patronage, with an estimated 194,265 passengers utilizing the service between April 1 and August 10. It is anticipated that this number will grow with the introduction of the remaining routes. The new network aims to make public transportation a more viable choice for daily travel, particularly for residents without personal vehicles.

Buses operate from 5.30am to 11pm, with service intervals ranging from 15 to 30 minutes, and a fleet of 48 new buses has been deployed to connect key transit hubs. The service also provides free concession cards to students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, currently registered by 960 individuals. These concessionary fares could help alleviate the cost of daily travel for those using public transportation.

The buses are equipped with real-time GPS monitoring, cashless payment, and e-ticketing systems, along with safety and accessibility features such as closed-circuit television cameras and designs catering to senior citizens and persons with disabilities. The full rollout of BAS.MY in Kota Kinabalu is part of the Federal Government's Stage Bus Service Transformation (SBST) program, which has allocated RM17.6 million annually, or RM88 million over five years, for its implementation.