May 06 2011
KL’s newest bus terminal: Terminal Bersepadu Selatan
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Malaysian intercity bus travel is a curious thing indeed. The journey itself is for the most part efficient, pleasant and good value for money. By contrast, the vast majority of bus terminals are hot, noisy, confusing, tout-filled nightmares. If the buses themselves do a good job of representing Malaysia’s first world aspirations, the places where the journeys begin and end show how far those aspirations are from being realised. So, it was with great interest that I read about Kuala Lumpur‘s newest bus terminal, TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan at Bandar Tasik Selatan), which promised an altogether more pleasant experience for travellers. I went down to see for myself whether it lived up to the hype.
Not your usual Malaysian bus station
What impressed me straight away was how easy it is to get to by public transport. Not one, not two, but three different train services stop at Bandar Tasik Selatan: an LRT (subway) line, a KTM (commuter) line and the KLIA Transit (airport link). It’s also well served by city buses. All this adds up to a level of transport integration that is unheard of in Malaysia. No wonder a long line of taxis was sitting idly by.
I was also impressed by the clear signage to and from the bus terminal, and by its non-death defying pedestrian access. Not having to dodge speeding traffic, while carrying heavy luggage, is a real treat for bus passengers in Malaysia, trust me.
It's like catching a plane, with wheels.
Another treat was to walk into the main hall of the bus terminal. Light, airy and sparklingly clean, TBS is like no other bus station I have ever seen in Asia. Not only does it look good, it works in a practical sense too. Massive electronic boards list all arrivals and departures (mostly southern and southeastern destinations at present); the information staff are helpful; a centralised ticketing system brings together many of the bus operators; and a zero tolerance policy towards touts is actively enforced.
Unexpected elbow room.
TBS has not been without teething problems, with several bus companies refusing to move there, and others boycotting the centralised ticketing system, but overall it is a project that Malaysia can be truly proud of. I just hope it is a sign of things to come.
Terminal Bersepadu Selatan
Bandar Tasik Selatan, Jalan Terminal Selatan
T: (03) 9057 5804 or (03) 9057 5802
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Tags: buses
Wah – looks like a fancy terminal. This changes my perception of bus terminals (and prejudices). Hope the service is as smooth as the tiled floors!:)
Nice article Pat. Hopefully the bus services themselves will be MAS rather than Air Asia in style, cost and amount of make-up worn by the crew (particularly the driver
puduraya and terminal bersepadu selatan is same or not
No, they’re different places. Have a look at the Travelfish transport listings for KL, for a full description of the various bus stations in KL.
http://www.travelfish.org/transport/malaysia/kuala_lumpur_and_surrounds/kuala_lumpur/kuala_lumpur/all
Cheers, Pat.
Hi.
We are a family of 5 who will travel from Singapore to Kl on 16th December.
We will be staying in a hotel in Jalan Petaling ( Chinatown). How dowe get to our hotel from TBS – Terminal Bersepadu Tasik .
Thank you for your reply.
Regards
Mahendranath Ramrekha
I’m not really a transport advice service, but just this once… you can either get the LRT to Plaza Rakyat station, from where it’s a ten minute walk, but given there’s five of you, a (coupon) taxi is a sensible option. Look at Travelfish KL transport page for details:
http://www.travelfish.org/transport/malaysia/kuala_lumpur_and_surrounds/kuala_lumpur/kuala_lumpur/all
Hi, thanks for the info. I’m going to melaka then to KL next month, how far is the TBS from KL Sentral? Can i take the LRT, how long it takes?
Thanks very much.
dee
You can take the KTM Komuter train to KL Sentral (about 20 minutes) or the KLIA Transit (less than 10 minutes). The LRT line which stops at TBS doesn’t go directly to KL Sentral, so you need to change lines (at Masjid Jamek) which makes it the least convenient option. All three services are stacked up in a line. For more KL transport information, follow this link:
http://www.travelfish.org/transport/malaysia/kuala_lumpur_and_surrounds/kuala_lumpur/kuala_lumpur/all
Thank you, Pat..
Hi, I will be flying into KLIA in September. I need to spend 1 night somewhere near the bus terminal before i catch a bus to Ipoh the next morning.
Firstly, can you get a bus from TBS to Ipoh and how often do they run ?
Secondly, is there an airport bus to TBS and where do i find it at KLIA ?
Also is there many options for Accomodation near TBS ?
Regards,
Gary
Its not just the puduraya building that sucked. The operators were major mafias, defying safety regulations while driving and even defying government orders from the transport ministry. They need to follow rules, passenger rights need to be drawn up, and enforced. Touts of course are an annoyance. I hope there is major changes with the way these companies do business and not just changing the physical terminal.