Getting around via public transportation or otherwise in Malaysia can get rather frustrating for those not familiar with the country. But fortunately for the folks of Petaling Jaya, they have excellent public transportation and infrastructure facilities.
From the early days of its inception, being the satellite city of Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya has always been easily accessible from Kuala Lumpur via the Federal Highway. With time, accessibility to Petaling Jaya has only improved.
Commuters now enjoy accessibility to many highways from Petaling Jaya, as well as excellent accessibility into the city itself. Directly passing through Petaling Jaya is the Federal Highway, and residents enjoy easy access to Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP), New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) and New Pantai Expressway (NPE).
Biking in the park
There are several entry points into Petaling Jaya from the Federal Highway, with the main ones being at Amcorp Mall and Section 11, the Asia Jaya LRT Staton and Pinnacle Petaling Jaya, and at Jalan 222 where the former P1 WiMax used to stand – now changed to WeBe.
Via the Federal Highway, residents of Petaling Jaya find themselves centrally located in the middle of Subang Jaya and Kuala Lumpur, and with easy access to Shah Alam and Klang as well.
Travelling via the NPE also allows residents of Petaling Jaya easy access to Mont Kiara, Kota Damansara and Bangsar, while the NKVE connects commuters to the North-South Expressway.
The other renowned major trunk roads within Petaling Jaya are Jalan Universiti, Jalan Kemajuan, Jalan Utara, Jalan Barat, Jalan Othman, Jalan Majilis, Jalan Bahagia, among others.
Rail transportation infrastructure is rapidly evolving in PJ with the growth of the Light Rail Transit (Kelana Jaya Line now connecting Gombak to Putra Heights). The main stations in PJ are Taman Jaya (nearest to PJ New Town), Asia Jaya (walking distance to the KL-Klang bus stop), Taman Paramount, and Kelana Jaya.
More rail transportation infrastructure is coming in form of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang line, the first MRT line in the Klang Valley, and will have 10 stations to be located within Petaling Jaya.
Plans for the Bandar Utama – Klang Line is also touted to increase connectivity in the city
The electric train, KTM Komuter, also stops in several PJ locales namely Jalan Templer, Kampung Dato Harun, Seri Setia and Setia Jaya.
One of the oldest forms of transportation, bus services saw rapid evolution in routes and capacity transporting passengers in and out of the city to various parts of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
Today, the main public transportation provider, RapidKL has many routes linking Kuala Lumpur and PJ to other areas.
Furthermore, RapidKL provides bus services from LRT stations to nearby neighbourhoods while the Selangor state government’s initiative in providing free shuttle buses around the state has brought relief to many especially those who have to rely on public transportation.
The main bus hubs in PJ include the Kelana Jaya, Taman Bahagia, Asia Jaya and Taman Jaya LRT stations, while Bandar Utama (next to 1 Utama Shopping Centre), Damansara Uptown, EPF and Asia Jaya bus stops also play an important role.
For example, getting to the airport has been made easier with Aeroline bus services from Paradigm Mall in Kelana Jaya as well as One Utama Shopping Centre. Also, there are busses going to Genting Highland from the 1 Utama Shopping Centre.
Those travelling to Singapore with Aeroline’s double decker coaches can easily catch a bus from Menara Axis (opposite Asia Jaya LRT station) and 1 Utama Shopping Centre.
The Kelana Jaya LRT station also doubles as a pick-up point for those wanting to travel up north.