Bus, train tickets for Chinese New Year sold out

KUALA LUMPUR: Bus and train tickets to the north and east coast for the Chinese New Year have been sold out.
A survey by Bernama at the Southern Integrated Terminal (TBS) found tickets for journey from the Klang Valley to Kota Baru and Kuala Terengganu from Feb 13 to 15, and the return trip between Feb 18 and 21, have been sold out.
About 60% of the tickets for destinations in the north and the east coast on Feb 16 and 17 have been sold.
According to an employee manning a ticket counter at TBS, the bus tickets for the Chinese New Year were sold since two months ago and were sold out in a month.
"Most of the city folks began making their bookings for the tickets online since November, the reason the tickets are sold out in a short time," she told Bernama.
For those travelling to the south, like Malacca and Johor, for the Chinese New Year, they are advised to get their tickets early.
Meanwhile, a survey by Bernama to the Sentral Kuala Lumpur Station also found the train tickets for the journey from the Klang Valley to the northern destinations between Feb 13 and 15 sold out.
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Intercity senior manager (marketing) Mohd. Noordin Kimi said its customers began making their bookings for the tickets either online or at the counter since three months ago and the tickets were sold out by last month.
"However, tickets for destinations to the south and Singapore are still available," he said.
A student of a private learning institution, Zack Ong, 20, said he had to return to his hometown in Johor Baru a week earlier before the celebration to avoid the last minute rush for the ticket and the congestion.
"On normal days, it is not a problem for me to get the ticket at the last minute, but for the Chinese New Year I prefer to go home earlier to avoid the congestion," he said.
Housewife Peggy Leong, 53, said she booked her train ticket a month earlier to return to Ipoh, Perak, for the celebration.
"Last year, I could not get the ticket because I was late and had to get a lift in a friend's car to return home. so, this year, I bought the return tickets online early to avoid the long queue at the counter," she said. — Bernama