Rapid Penang On-Demand Service Expanded To Three New Zones Starting April 26
GEORGE TOWN, April 24 (Bernama) -- Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd, the operator of Rapid Penang bus services, will expand its Rapid Penang On-Demand network with three new zones starting April 26.
In a statement today, Rapid Bus said these new zones will encompass the George Town city centre as well as the densely populated areas of Jelutong and Bayan Lepas.
'This service will connect passengers from areas with limited access to existing bus routes through a first-mile and last-mile solution, either by linking to current Rapid Penang bus services or directly to the passengers' destinations.
'The introduction of these new zones is expected to encourage more people to opt for public transport over private vehicles,' the statement said.
Rapid Bus acting chief executive officer Ku Jamil Zakaria said 14 vans will be deployed for operations in the new zones, with an additional 21 vans to be introduced in phases starting from June 2025 to support the next phase of the service.
As part of service improvements, Ku Jamil said Rapid Bus will consolidate On-Demand operations in the Paya Terubong and Farlim zones starting in May, which is expected to enhance connectivity between the On-Demand service and existing Rapid Penang routes.
He said the service initially began with just two vans in the Farlim zone and recorded an average of 120 passengers daily. However, with expansion to new areas such as Gurney, Sunway and Paya Terubong, the number of vans has increased to 17.
'After this expansion, the Rapid Penang On-Demand service continues to receive encouraging response, with current daily ridership averaging 753 passengers,' he said.
The Rapid Penang On-Demand service operates daily from 6 am to 11 pm, offering a promotional fare of RM1 per trip.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
16 hours ago
- The Star
JD.com billionaire's viral stunt reignites China's food-delivery feud
One unusually warm evening in April, Richard Liu revved his scooter through Beijing's traffic-snarled streets alongside other delivery workers, and then personally handed food orders to surprised customers. Later that night, over spicy hotpot and ice-cold beer, the Inc founder welcomed a pair of riders from two rival delivery firms to his company. The publicity stunt, broadcast on viral online videos, reignited a fight for China's US$80bil (RM340.39bil)-plus food delivery market. In just a few months, JD, China's largest online retailer by revenue, amassed 25 million daily takeout orders across 350 cities, capturing more than half the volume of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's the runner-up to market leader Meituan. Neither saw Liu coming. China's food delivery industry has been in an effective duopoly after brutal price wars forced out many smaller players almost a decade ago. Takeout became more expensive even as merchants and riders complained about making less. Liu is now turning to an old playbook: charging restaurants no commission, generous hiring bonuses for 100,000 new full-time riders, plus a 10bil yuan (RM 5.92bil or US $1.4bil) discounting campaign for consumers. During its flagship shopping festival this month, JD sold coffee and bubble tea for as cheap as 1.68 yuan (RM1). The food delivery war is indicative of the bifurcation in China's mammoth tech industry. On the one hand, players like DeepSeek are spurring major tech firms to invest in innovations like generative AI. On the other, the effects of Beijing's yearslong Covid lockdowns and regulatory campaigns against Big Tech still linger, and many companies are desperately searching for sources of growth in a saturated market. Liu's marketing stunt is also personal. The viral videos of him waiting to pick up boxed lunches and downing beers with other riders mark a surprise return to the public eye for the 52-year-old tech mogul, who faded from the spotlight in 2018 when he was arrested in the US on suspicion of rape, though prosecutors in Minneapolis ultimately declined to press charges. During Beijing's crackdown on the tech sector in 2022, Liu joined a long list of tech founders who stepped down. His departure coincided with some of JD's toughest times since its founding as a tiny electronics outlet in 1998. Its premium online shopping service ran into China's slowing economy, its own bargain app flopped, and an overseas foray was abandoned. That left JD with no growth story, as giants Alibaba and Tencent Holdings Ltd bet big on generative AI and smaller rivals such as Meituan and Didi Global Inc exported their gig-economy models abroad. Even Meituan has begun selling and delivering everything from iPhones to washing machines in a few hours. 'For JD, it's a lost five years, to put it bluntly,' Liu said during a rare news conference at the company's Beijing headquarters Tuesday. 'No innovation, no growth, no progress. It should be considered the most unremarkable and least valuable five years in my entrepreneurial history.' Explaining their rationale of getting into food delivery, Liu said that it's about leveraging JD's battle-tested logistics network to acquire new users, 40% of whom have already been converted into e-commerce customers. 'Our losses are smaller than what we would have spent on advertising,' he said. Not everyone is convinced. JD's takeout business could generate as much as 18bil yuan (RM 10.66bil) in annualised losses, wiping out 36% of its parent's operating profit for 2025, says JPMorgan Chase & Co. Arete Research estimates that as the market leader, Meituan will only need to spend about a quarter of JD's costs to defend its position. JD's loss per order will narrow to 3 yuan (RM1.78) in the second half of 2025 from 8 yuan (RM4.74) this quarter as it pares back subsidies to confront the economic reality, the equity research house predicts. 'We do not think JD will find material success in local services like insta-commerce, but understand management's sense of urgency in needing to diversify its business mix and feeling threatened by Meituan,' Arete analysts Shawn Yang and Richard Kramer wrote in a note in June. Representatives for JD, Alibaba, and Meituan didn't respond to requests for comment for this story. What's clear is that JD has injected new life into a long-dormant market. hardest hit by JD's offensive, gave out 10bil yuan (RM 5.92bil) in subsidies to customers, then another 1bil yuan (RM 592.27mil) to restaurants. Alibaba also integrated the takeout app into its flagship e-commerce platform Taobao in the hope of diverting more traffic to it. Meituan for the first time ever is giving away vouchers on things like smartphones and liquor during the June 18 sales event that JD invented more than a decade ago. Its founder Wang Xing declared to investors in May that it would do 'whatever measure it takes to win the game'. The renewed food-delivery battle is reminiscent of the all-out war in online shopping just years ago, when alleged abuses like forcing merchants into exclusive arrangements helped fuel Beijing's Big Tech crackdown, wiping out trillions in wealth. Though pressure has eased, government scrutiny remains heightened as high youth unemployment drives more and more people to take up gig work. Regulators in May summoned executives from the three takeout firms into meetings on fair competition and protection of riders, among other topics. By 2024, China had more than 10 million delivery riders, official data showed. In Beijing, there were 17,000 riders in the first half of 2024, up 50% from a year ago. And amid growing awareness of how riders often prioritise speed over safety to earn more, said in April that it would gradually phase out a cash penalty system for riders who miss their deadlines. JD is going further in worker benefits by paying social security – a government-sponsored welfare system including pensions and medical insurance – for all of its full-time riders. Meituan and followed suit with similar policies. JD has won over riders like Jiang Xiaoxi, a migrant worker in Shenzhen who joined Meituan before Covid but quit last year to take care of her sick grandfather in her hometown in Hunan province. When the 25-year-old returned to Shenzhen this year, she picked JD instead for regular eight-hour shifts and persuaded her peers to jump ship. 'I signed a contract on day one,' she said. 'Having social security as a full-time employee gives me a sense of belonging.' Others are wary of such promises, with memories of the past delivery price-war still fresh. Tang Zequan, 36, recalls how in 2016 he could make more than 10 yuan (RM5.92) per order as a new driver for Meituan in Guangzhou. After Meituan emerged dominant, his earnings went down to 7 yuan (RM4.15) per order. As a high-school dropout, he acknowledges that no other job could have helped him pay off debts so quickly after his real estate brokerage business went under during Beijing's crackdown on the property market. 'I have great gratitude for the food delivery industry, but I won't pay allegiance to any firm,' Tang said. 'Without choices we are left with a monopoly.' – Bloomberg


Rakyat Post
a day ago
- Rakyat Post
Bus Drivers Can Work Up To 28 Days A Month Due To Driver Shortage & Low Pay
Subscribe to our FREE Due to recent bus crashes like the one in Gerik, there have been questions whether bus drivers also get adequate rest. Currently, most bus drivers earn a basic monthly salary of RM1,700 and have to largely depend on travel allowances and overtime work to supplement their income. On average, bus drivers can earn between RM3,000 and RM5,000 a month. The allowances and overtime pay would vary between companies. According to the Although they are given breaks of up to six hours before the next trip to ensure they have enough rest, most will opt to work overtime to boost their income and make ends meet. For illustration purposes. Image: Malay Mail Bumiputera Bus Operators Association (PPBBM) chairman Zainal Abidin Mehat said bus drivers typically work 20 days a month with 10 days off. However, to boost their income, some drivers could work up to 28 days, including their off days, if they agree to it. He reiterated that the drivers do so with mutual consent between the company and the driver. The problem is further exacerbated due to the lack of qualified drivers to make the roster tenable. He added most companies do not set a fixed number of trips per day for drivers and ensure their drivers have enough rest between journeys. He said there's no issue of drivers being overworked because proper rest is prioritised. If the driver doesn't get enough rest before the start of the next trip, another driver will be assigned from the depot. However, some people wondered how are bus drivers still losing out with low pay despite there being a high demand in the industry. Others hoped bus companies would train more bus drivers and the authorities would find a way to manage the longstanding issue for passengers' safety. Supply sikit, demand tinggi. Tapi, somehow gaji masih rendah. — kassim babe (@haze_yii) TRAIN MORE PEOPLE. But transport companies want money to go into their pockets instead. No matter if people die. — SleepingSophie (@Alltheblablas) income beratus ribu eh bayar min wages. no wonder ramai lari SG — Iwaaann | イワン (@iwaaaaannn) Fact! It's the biggest lorry concerning truck and lorry drivers. They need the money to raise their families and companies are happy with long hours because can profit more. How is the government and the relevant authorities going to tackle this problem w rising costs of living. — Rachel Helu Chang (@Lesieliplv) The vicious cycle: Driver shortage -> Overwork -> Fatigue & Carelessness ->Accidents -> Reputation damage -> Driver quit ->back to driver shortage. — Hazwan Halim (@HazwanHalimsan) Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.


The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
M'sian siblings surprise parents with brand new Proton X70
It's not every day that siblings come together to gift their parents a car — let alone a gleaming new Proton X70. But that's exactly what one big-hearted Malaysian family did, and their heartfelt gesture has since gone viral across social media. In celebration of two major milestones — Father's Day and their parents' 38th wedding anniversary — 11 siblings pooled their resources to surprise their beloved 'Abah' and 'Ma' with the ultimate gift of gratitude. In a touching TikTok post, one of the siblings shared: 'A gift from us, your 11 children, who were raised by your hands, Abah & Ma. In conjunction with Father's Day and your 38th anniversary together, this is for you.' The emotional video showed the moment their father was led outside to see the Proton X70, beautifully decorated with red ribbons. Visibly moved, he teared up before stepping into the car and admiring the generous gift. Netizens were quick to flood the comments with praise and admiration. 'Alhamdulillah, the process was made easy for the 11 siblings to buy a car for their parents. With a RM10,000 deposit, each of them chipped in around RM1,000. The monthly repayment comes up to just about RM100 per person. Smart planning — and more importantly, solid teamwork among siblings,' wrote user AS. Another comment by Arif Haqim read: 'You are all amazing children. You are truly blessed to be able to bring joy to your parents. The reward and blessings for that are immense. May Allah bless all of you, dear siblings.'