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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has launched the Sunway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service. Initially set to run on June 9, the all-eletric bus service will now serve commuters based in Bandar Sunway and Subang Jaya. It will ply a 5.4 km-long route, the Sunway Line, and cover a total of seven stations - two of which will integrate with the Setia Jaya KTM and upcoming USJ 7 Kelana Jaya LRT stations.

Seven stations will be built to improve accessibility in Setia Jaya, Mentari Business Park, Sunway Lagoon, Sunway Medical Centre, Monash University Malaysia and USJ7. Of the seven listed stops, the Sunway University-Monash station will feature a Park 'n' Ride facility - users will be charged a flat rate of RM4.

A total of 1,153 parking bays includes 102 bays for female drivers, 23 for disabled commuters and 121 for motorcycle riders. The RM634 million project is expected to cater to an estimated catchment population of 500,000 with a daily projected load of 2,400 commuters per hour. The figure is set to rise to 5,200 by 2035.

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It was announced at the launch that the Sunway BRT service will be free to use for the first two months of operations, starting from today. "Later, if the commuters use our MyRapid card for the BRT service, they will enjoy a flat rate of RM4 per day," said Azmi Abdul Aziz, Prasarana Malaysia group managing director.

The finalised rate for the Sunway BRT service will be announced by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) before the end of August, according to Azmi. Additionally, The Sun understands that plans for the KL-Klang BRT Line, which is expected to begin construction by the end of 2016, are already in motion.

A fleet of 15 BYD-badged electric buses will be employed for use on the Sunway Line. Said buses will possess a top speed of 80 km/h and will come equipped with a plethora of amenities including WiFi connectivity. Each bus has a maximum capacity of 67 passengers - 25 of them seated. The bus is capable of an operational range of 250 km - a figure sufficient for 23 trips a day.