Aidilfitri: Train tickets sold out, bus tickets still available

Express bus tickets to various destinations in the peninsula during the Hari Raya celebration are still available.

At Pudu Sentral, Bernama check found that most passengers still managed to purchase their tickets over the counter.

Hasry Express Bus Consortium operation officer Farah Hasry said the demand for express bus tickets would only see a steep rise when the Hari Raya was near.

She also lauded the Land Public Transport Commission's (SPAD) approval for express bus companies to increase their ticket fares by 10 per cent during Hari Raya this year.

"Nevertheless, our company will still sell the tickets at normal price in the early weeks of Ramadan and will only impose the surcharge approved by SPAD from July 20," she told Bernama.

When announcing the approval for the 10 per cent surcharge on ticket fares last month, SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said the surcharge was approved for tickets to all destination from July 8 to Sept 8 this year, involving all express bus and additional bus services.

A private sector worker, Syazrin Syadiqah Sabri, 27, who travels from Kuala Lumpur to Parit Buntar, Perak on a weekly basis, when met, admitted that the surcharge had been imposed by most bus companies.

"The surcharge of RM2.80 caused me to pay RM30.70 for the ticket compared to the normal RM27.90," she said.

Meanwhile, Bernama check at KL Sentral found that tickets for intercity train service had been sold out despite the fact that the fasting month was only entering its third day.

KTM Intercity spokesman said the ticket sales for trips from Kuala Lumpur to the east coast and northern states had begun since early June.

"At present, only tickets for the trip to the east coast states on July 30 and to the northern states on July 31 are still available," he said.

Mohd Nazmir Munir, 34, when met at the KL Sentral, said he regretted overlooking the date for the sale of intercity train ticket to Pasir Mas, Kelantan.

"I always travel with KTM Intercity train to return to Kelantan and now, I really hope that KTM will provide some additional coaches so I can return to my hometown before Aidilfitri," he said.