Brief History
The mini bus started operating on 23 September 1975 under the Ministry of Transportation. At that time, the mini bus operated on various routes according to their individual colours (blue- white, yellow-white, red-white, purple-white and dark green-white). The mini bus was responsible for servicing nearly sixty different routes. Three major companies (Syarikat Kerjasama Pengaman (M) Bhd, Bas Mini Wilayah and Konsortium Pengusaha Bas Mini Sdn Bhd) monopolized the various bus routes while smaller operators were allowed to service certain areas only.
In 1975, when the mini bus was introduced as a service, the bus-fare was just 40 sen. Later in 1991, the fare was increased to 50 sen while two years after, the fare was again adjusted to 60 sen. The mini bus did not have any fixed time-table. Instead, the service operated on a commission basis whereby the operators were paid according to the number of trips and fare collection they could raise in one day. Sometimes, in order to outdo a competitor, a driver would detour from the designated route much to the annoyance of the passengers.
In 1990, the then Deputy Minister of Transport, Datuk Paduka Rahmah Osman, standardized the colour of the mini bus to “Pink” and white. On the 1st July 1998, the services of the mini bus was terminated in the city of Kuala Lumpur . Once a notorious mode of transport for the many commuters in Kuala Lumpur, the “Pink Lady” will always be remembered for its death-defying activities on public roads.
Read more about this topic: Kuala Lumpur Mini-Bus Service
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