The public transportation
system within Kuala Lumpur and its outskirts, is well developed
and relatively efficient. Feel free to explore the city at
a leisurely pace without straining your budget. Buses operating
in the city centre are air conditioned as are the coaches
in the commuter trains, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Monorail,
for you to get around in comfort. There are also taxis at
your disposal and one can be hailed with great ease, especially
within the city centre. The best way to explore the city and
the surrounding suburbs is by combination of the LRT and its
feeder buses as well as taxis.
Speedy commuter train
services provide easy access to neighbouring towns and cities
such as Rawang, Port Klang and Seremban, the capital of Negeri
Sembilan state.
The transportation
hub for KL’s integrated rail transportation system is
KL Sentral Station. The 19.1 million square feet of world-class
working, living and leisure space is situated in Brickfields
(Jalan Tun Sambanthan). KL Sentral brings together the commuter,
intercity and KLIA Ekspres airport express rail networks with
KL's LRT. This grand station is the gateway to KL and beyond.
Kuala
Lumpur Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
Specially designed for tourists, the KL Hop-On Hop-Off double-deck
buses ferry tourists to the main attractions within the city.
Passengers can literally hop-on and hop-off the buses at any
of the designated stops for a flat rate multiple ride ticket
that is valid for 24 hours. Throughout the journey, a running
commentary of KL and passing sights is given in eight languages.
The first bus of the day departs at 8.30am and finishes at
8.30pm and runs on a half hourly schedule. The KL Hop-On Hop-Off
buses pass through, among others places, Jalan Bukit Bintang,
Berjaya Times Square, KL Tower, the Lake Gardens with its
Bird Park and Butterfly Park, National Planetarium, Islamic
Arts Museum, National Mosque, Sultan Abdul Samad Building/
Merdeka Square, Istana Budaya, National Art Gallery, Kuala
Lumpur City Centre and Aquaria.
BUSES
This is the quickest and cost effective way of getting around,
seeing KL and living the local’s life. The buses are
comfortable, modern and air conditioned. The integrated service
is comprehensive. Most of the buses adopt a “pay-as-you-board”
system. The schedules are fairly reliable – given the
unpredictability of traffic jams in KL, of course.
There are also several
bus companies which operate stage, inter-city and express
bus services to almost all destinations in Peninsular Malaysia.
Bus stations for interstate buses are located at:-
Putra Bus Station (Opposite the
Putra World Trade Centre) - to the East Coast;
Pekeliling Bus Station at Jalan
Tun Razak - also to the East Coast;
Puduraya Bus Station, Jalan Pudu
- to the north and south of the Peninsula including Singapore;
Bangunan MARA, Jalan Raja Laut -
also to the north and south of the Peninsula.
Taxis
Fare for all intra-city taxies in KL is based on a metered
rate. Insist that your taxi uses the meter. The fare is based
on both distance and time. KL taxis are available round the
clock but there will be a 50% surcharge on the metered fare
from 12.00 midnight to 6am. Taxi stops are commonly found
beside bus stops, outside shopping malls and hotels. Inter-city
taxies on the other hand are non-metered, with stated rates
that vary based on distance traveled. The taxies go to any
part of the Peninsula. There are quite a number of taxi companies
which provide telephone call-up service. Some have formed
a consortium while most of them are under the umbrella of
the Federal Territory and Selangor Radio Taxi Association.
Trains
KL boasts of an extensive rail transport system with links
to major parts of the city. There are 3 services – the
LRT lines, KL Monorail and Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). Each
has its own route, criss-crossing the city and but meets at
KL Sentral. The services are mostly punctual, frequent and
hassle-free. Where needed – mostly at residential areas
– feeder buses are provided at a minimal flat charge.
There are weekly and monthly passes for frequent travelers.
KTM
Komuter
This is the best way to get to interesting sites at the outskirts
of the city. The trains stop at various city stations along
its two main lines and are ideal for getting to destinations
outside the city. The first line provides service for the
east-west route, which starts at Sentul and ends at Port Klang.
En route, it passes Shah Alam and Klang, respectively the
current and former capital cities of Selangor state. The second
or north-south line starts from Rawang and goes all the way
to Seremban, in neighboring Negeri Sembilan state, 66 kilometers
south-east of KL. Ticket prices start from just RM1.00 and
can be purchased from the stations counters or vendor machines
at the various stops. Saver passes are also available with
for durations of one week up to one year.
Light
Rail Transit (LRT)
The LRT is a marvelous way to see KL. The service is provided
by two systems plying the routes called the Kelana Jaya line
(formerly called Putra line) and the Ampang line (formerly
called STAR line). The two lines intersect at Masjid Jamek.
The LRT passes through most major parts of KL and it operates
from 6 am till about 11.00 pm.
KL
Monorail
The 16 km elevated Monorail line runs south from Jalan Tun
Razak near the Jalan Pekelling bus station, to the end of
the south-western outskirts of the city at Kampung Pasir.
Along the way, it passes the Golden Triangle, including the
Bukit Bintang and Chow Kit areas. The Monorail interfaces
with LRT Kelana Jaya line at the Titiwangsa and Hang Tuah
stations and with other train services at the KL Sentral Station.
Enak KL
