KUALA LUMPUR: The RM634 million Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)-Sunway Line project, now at 88% completion as at March 3, is on track to be completed on June 9 this year, said Prasarana Malaysia Bhd.

The project, which was initiated under a public-private partnership (PPP) programme between Prasarana and Sunway Bhd, is the first of its kind in Malaysia and the first elevated BRT development in Southeast Asia.

Under the PPP, Prasarana and Sunway funded 70% and 15%, respectively, of the project’s total cost. The balance 15% is covered by the Facilitation Fund.

The Facilitation Fund, managed by Putrajaya’s bumiputera economic development unit Teraju and the Public-Private Partnership Unit (UKAS), was introduced under the Economic Stimulus Package in the Ninth Malaysia Plan, aimed at facilitating the implementation of high value projects.

“We are confident that it will be completed by early June 2015,” Prasarana group managing director Azmi Abdul Aziz told pressmen during a visit to the project site yesterday.

The BRT-Sunway Line will be the first fully electric bus service in Malaysia and the first fully elevated BRT in Southeast Asia.   

Azmi added that the project will be a benchmark for other BRT developments in the region, and that Prasarana is aiming to achieve the “gold standard” of the US-based Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, which sets standards for BRT developments around the world.

On the fare to be charged, Azmi said the fare structure has yet to be finalised, as it is still being discussed with the Land Public Transport Commission (Spad).

Looking ahead, Azmi said Spad has identified several other potential areas for other BRT lines.

“If you refer to Spad’s public transport master plan, there are already other lines that have been identified for BRT to be developed in the Klang Valley area,” he said.

However, he declined to comment on the investment cost of the future BRT lines.

According to news reports, the priority BRT corridors that were identified besides the BRT-Sunway Line, are Kuala Lumpur–Klang, Taman Melawati–Kuala Lumpur, Puchong–Kuala Lumpur and Ampang–Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Spad has also identified other corridors, namely Kinrara–Damansara, Ampang–Kepong, Kota Damansara–Shah Alam, Shah Alam–Putra Heights, Putra Heights– Putrajaya, Putrajaya–Kajang and Kerinchi–Alam Damai.

The BRT-Sunway Line project stretches 5.4km from the Setia Jaya KTM Komuter station to the USJ7 LRT Station, with seven stations spaced approximately 900m apart.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on March 18, 2015.