PUTRAJAYA: A shuttle bus service between KL Sentral and Parliament is being set up to encourage members of parliament and their staff to use public transport.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the free service could begin when Parliament convenes on Feb 13.
He said the frequency and number of buses for the service had yet to be finalised.
He said passengers would be able to hop on the bus two hours before Parliament sessions begin at 10am.
He said the service's operation hours might be extended if Parliament sittings go late into the night and the number of buses for the service would be increased if there was demand.
"We are conducting trials for the shuttle bus service, and further discussions will be held with Parliament's administration.
"I have asked Prasarana to provide a small RapidKL bus to make it easier to go through Parliament's gates and enter the compound," he said after a ministry event here today.
He said he had discussed the matter with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul, who agreed with it.
Loke said the ministry needed to resolve issues regarding the issuance of Parliament entry passes for feeder bus passengers.
"Those who do not have any pass may have to alight the feeder bus at the security post to obtain the Parliament pass before entering the compound."
He said the lack of parking space was a recurring problem whenever Parliament was in session.
He said many staff members queued up to an hour to obtain passes.
"When Parliament is in session, 2,000 to 4,000 people enter the building. Just imagine, there are 222 MPs, and this excludes the MPs' staff, members of the media and other officers.
"Each of them drive their own vehicle and this is why there is congestion at Parliament."
On choosing KL Sentral as the boarding location for the shuttle bus, Loke said it was because KL Sentral is a major transport hub that connects many services.
"KL Sentral is not far from Parliament. Many MPs from outstation choose to stay in hotels near this transport hub and this will facilitate their transport to Parliament. MPs won't need to use e-hailing services any more."
