GOMBAK, July 30 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke today announced the arrival of the final batch of 310 new diesel buses under Rapid Bus Sdn Bhd’s fleet replacement programme, marking the last phase before Malaysia transitions to fully electric public buses.
The new units—comprising 200 mini buses and 110 full-sized 12-metre buses—will be deployed progressively across high-demand routes in Kuala Lumpur and Penang by early 2026 to modernise an ageing fleet and boost service frequency.
Loke emphasized that while these Euro 5-compliant diesel buses are essential to bridge current service gaps, they are a temporary measure ahead of Malaysia’s shift to electric buses. The upcoming e-bus fleet, set to begin rollout next year, will be locally assembled to promote technology transfer and industrial growth.
“This is a stopgap strategy to maintain service continuity as we push toward a sustainable, eco-friendly transport ecosystem,” he said.
