Pudu Sentral

The Pudu Sentral (formerly Puduraya Terminal (Hentian Puduraya)) is the main bus station terminus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was opened in 1976 by the late former Prime Minister Tun Hussein Onn. Long-distance buses arrive and leave from Pudu Sentral. Pudu Sentral is especially busy during the public holiday and festive periods. Much of the southern-bound buses have been moved to Bandar Tasik Selatan Integrated Transport Terminal, resulting in Pudu Sentral losing half of the bus volume to the Bandar Tasik Selatan Integrated Transport Terminal.

The current operator of this bus terminal is UDA Holdings.

History
Pudu Sentral began operating in 1976. In 2006, Pudu Sentral had undergone a renovation costing about RM3 million (approx. US$ 817,000)

Traffic congestion near Puduraya bus was reduced because Bandar Tasik Selatan Integrated Transport Terminal (ITT BTS) was opened in 2011. The new terminal caters for buses to the Southern Region destinations, taking over from crowded Puduraya. Minister in Prime Minister department Nazri Aziz said in May 2009 that with the opening of BTS terminal, Puduraya would only cater to city buses and taxis. Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah also said in May 2009 that Puduraya would undergo a facelift to upgrade services as it prepares to become a city terminal. They include a new coat of paint, upgrading pedestrian walks from Plaza Rakyat LRT station to Puduraya, upgrading lifts and toilets and installing new fire prevention equipment.

Puduraya was reopened on April 16, 2011 after undergoing massive renovations costing RM52.7mil. The terminal was closed in April 2010 for upgrading works and was supposed to be re-opened in September 2009.

On 27 August 2011, the Puduraya bus terminal was renamed as Pudu Sentral in keeping with its modern and new look on par with an airport. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the new name was a suggestion from a follower on his Twitter account.

On 23 September 2012, Pudu Sentral became the Urban Transformation Centre for Kuala Lumpur. It was launched by Najib Razak. Pudu Sentral becomes the second Urban Transformation Centre after Malacca in June 2012. The Urban Transformation Centre houses government agencies, scores of private businesses, a Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia branch and a Kedai Kain 1Malaysia branch. The first Kedai Buku 1Malaysia is also located here. The transformation to become Urban Transformation centre costs RM24 million and takes 6 weeks to complete. It was funded by the Ministry of Finance.

Najib said the Urban Transformation Centre will still run buses from here. UDA Holdings chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the transformation meant that there would be more buses at the terminal, especially with its additional facilities.

Ticket touts
Ticket touts at the Puduraya bus terminal fleece unsuspecting travellers, especially those who turn up at night after the counters are closed and are desperate to travel the next day..

Explosion
On June 15, 2007, a small homemade explosive, concealed in a snack wrapper and left on a concrete bench, was detonated at 9.10 pm (MST) at the Platform 7 entrance of the Puduraya bus station concourse, wounding an 11-year-old girl. The police, who vowed to investigate the motive of the blast and find the culprits of the bombing, ruled out the possibility that the bombing was masterminded and executed by militants, as certain quarters had claimed. No news pertaining the bombings were available thereafter.