SPAD will not allow ticket price hike before Hari Raya

Spad chief executive officer Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal said the move, if implemented, will be a burden to the public.

Mohd Nur Ismal said so following a recent demand by the Malaysian Bus Operators Association to not to sell advance tickets for July and August for the coming Hari Raya period until Spad agrees to allow a 30 per cent increase in ticket prices.

“They cannot hold us at ransom like this. We can’t simply give in to this demand as it will be a huge burden to the public.

“We won’t be increasing the ticket prices before Hari Raya as is it too short a notice. It is not fair to ask for the increase when the festive season is around the corner.

“We have already met several bus operators and a handful of them are willing to operate even without the increase,” he told AstroAWANI.

However, Mohd Nur Ismal did not rule out the possibility of an increase in the ticket price after Hari Raya.

“We are still reviewing their demand. If there is an increase in price, it will definitely not be put into place before Hari Raya,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pan Malaysia Bus Operators Association president Datuk Asfar Ali said it is up to the bus operators to accept Spad’s decision.

“The last time there was an increase of ticket prices was in 2008 which five years ago. It is high time the ticket prices go up.

“On May 22, we had a meeting with Spad to ask them to consider the 30 per cent increase in the ticket prices.

“They said they will consider the decision. We have not officially been informed of the decision to not increase the price,” he said.

Asfar also said that the association was misquoted by the media which reported that they will not sell advance tickets for July and August until Spad agrees to allow a 30 per cent increase in ticket prices.