Express bus tickets selling like hot cakes
With Hari Raya drawing closer, express bus tickets are selling briskly, despite the 10% surcharge imposed during the festive period.
Checks by The Star at express bus counters at the Larkin Bus Terminal here found that many tickets had been sold.
The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) imposed the 10% surcharge on June 18 after express bus operators aired their reluctance to sell advance tickets if they could not increase the fares.
Qisma Express operator B.Thinagar said that most of the bus tickets to northern destinations were selling fast.
“About 30% of our Penang and Kedah tickets have been snapped up, especially for the Hari Raya period.
“Within the next couple of days, I expect tickets to northern and central states to be completely sold out,” he said, adding that tickets to the Klang Valley were still available.
StarMart Ekspress Sdn Bhd ticket sales representative M. Rajendran said many of his customers were taken aback by the new fare at first.
“The increase is just 10% or an extra RM3 from the previous price so passengers can still afford it,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Transnasional Johor Baru ticketing agent, who wanted to be known only as Ismail, said tickets to Kelantan and Terengganu had already been sold out for the Ramadan period.
“However, we are still waiting for a directive from our headquarters to sell additional tickets for Hari Raya within the next couple of weeks,” he said.
On another front, train tickets from Johor Baru-Singapore to Tumpat and Johor Baru-Singapore to Padang Besar were sold out on July 2.
KTM Bhd senior marketing manager Mohd Noordin Kimi said that with the hike in express bus tickets, more people were expected to use trains for their balik kampung trip.
“There will be no price increase for our tickets and concession holders will still enjoy their benefits during the festive season,” he said.
Mohd Noordin said that from Aug 2-7, KTM would add two more coaches to the regular 10-coach trains to Tumpat and Padang Besar.
“Additional coaches will only be made available based on demand,” he said.
~News courtesy of The Star~
With Hari Raya drawing closer, express bus tickets are selling briskly, despite the 10% surcharge imposed during the festive period.
Checks by The Star at express bus counters at the Larkin Bus Terminal here found that many tickets had been sold.
The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) imposed the 10% surcharge on June 18 after express bus operators aired their reluctance to sell advance tickets if they could not increase the fares.
Qisma Express operator B.Thinagar said that most of the bus tickets to northern destinations were selling fast.
“About 30% of our Penang and Kedah tickets have been snapped up, especially for the Hari Raya period.
“Within the next couple of days, I expect tickets to northern and central states to be completely sold out,” he said, adding that tickets to the Klang Valley were still available.
StarMart Ekspress Sdn Bhd ticket sales representative M. Rajendran said many of his customers were taken aback by the new fare at first.
“The increase is just 10% or an extra RM3 from the previous price so passengers can still afford it,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Transnasional Johor Baru ticketing agent, who wanted to be known only as Ismail, said tickets to Kelantan and Terengganu had already been sold out for the Ramadan period.
“However, we are still waiting for a directive from our headquarters to sell additional tickets for Hari Raya within the next couple of weeks,” he said.
On another front, train tickets from Johor Baru-Singapore to Tumpat and Johor Baru-Singapore to Padang Besar were sold out on July 2.
KTM Bhd senior marketing manager Mohd Noordin Kimi said that with the hike in express bus tickets, more people were expected to use trains for their balik kampung trip.
“There will be no price increase for our tickets and concession holders will still enjoy their benefits during the festive season,” he said.
Mohd Noordin said that from Aug 2-7, KTM would add two more coaches to the regular 10-coach trains to Tumpat and Padang Besar.
“Additional coaches will only be made available based on demand,” he said.
~News courtesy of The Star~
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