Getting around the city and its surrounding areas might be a bit of a challenge in Kuala Lumpur. Considering the size of Klang Valley, it isn’t surprising as well. It isn’t easy to regulate buses for such a large area and even so, utilization rate is very low. Most locals would prefer to drive rather than to make use of public transportation.

In any case, there are several bus services that one can use to get around Klang Valley. The main bus operator would be the government owned Rapid KL (formerly Intrakota and City Liner). Rapid KL currently operates 179 bus routes with 3 express, 15 city shuttles, 19 trunk routes and 140 local shuttle services daily. 

The express route is basically a point to point service with very little stops in between. The city shuttles is pretty self explanatory as it basically operates within Kuala Lumpur’s central business district. Trunk route buses service the hubs in the city and links them to the suburban or regional hubs. These buses stop at all regulated bus stops along the way. The local shuttles would then link the suburban and regional hubs to its respective residential areas.

Rapid KL has divided Klang Valley into 6 separate areas:

1.      Kuala Lumpur Central Business District

2.      North and North West: Kepong, Selayang, Gombak, Batu Caves, Sri Damansara and Bandar Menjalara

3.      East and North East: Setapak, Hulu Kelang, Wangsa Maju, Keramat, Ampang and Pandan

4.      South and South East: Cheras, Serdang, Kajang, Balakong, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and Bandar Baru Bangi

5.      South West: Subang Jaya, Puchong and Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang south of the Federal Highway

6.      West: Damansara, Bandar Utama, Kota Damansara and areas of Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang north of the Federal Highway

The downside of Rapid KL’s service would be the interchanging of buses as one would be expected to hop on and off more than one bus to complete a journey. The upside would be the low fares. A daily pass worth RM4 can be purchased and this pass will allow commuters unlimited access to the local, trunk and city routes. If you want a more comprehensive pass, you can purchase one for RM7 and this would give you access not only to the buses (including the express routes) but also the Light Rail Transit (LRT). Passes for individual routes would cost between RM1 to RM4. Do remember that these daily passes are for unlimited travel depending on the type of pass purchased. Concession prices are available for students in uniform as well as the elderly.

Detailed schedules of arrival times are not published but you can expect to wait a considerable amount of time for the buses. This is due to the unpredictable traffic conditions in Klang Valley. The frequency of the buses would be as such:

City Shuttle: 10 to 20 minutes

Trunk Routes: 15 to 30 minutes

Local Shuttle: 15 to 30 minutes

Express: 30 to 60 minutes

The buses are a cheap way to get around Klang Valley and it allows you to view the city and its surrounding areas at ground level. The wait might be substantial and it might get crowded during the peak hours but with such low prices you’d expect as much. Do remember to check with the bus driver about the routes as you don’t want to be taking the wrong bus. Other than that, a bus ride in Klang Valley can prove to be quite an adventure.