KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s move to restrict express bus ticket sales to licensed terminals from Nov 1 is aimed at improving ticketing and terminal management, rather than causing losses to bus operators, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.
He said the measure was intended to address issues involving online ticketing agents (OTAs), many of which are based overseas and collect commissions without providing services at bus terminals.
“Online ticketing agents sell tickets and earn commissions, but they do not provide services at the terminals, including managing terminal operations,” he said at a press conference after the launch of Transport Export Asia 2026 (TXA 2026) here today.
Loke said ticket sales should instead be channelled through terminals licensed by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), as OTAs were not licensed operators and the authorities had limited control over issues involving refunds and service disruptions.
He said the government would also ensure that terminal operators did not increase their existing charges, adding that lower charges were encouraged to provide better returns for bus operators.
“The arrangement would remain a business-to-business (B2B) transaction between terminal operators and bus companies, with the government setting the policy direction,” he said.
The directive, issued by APAD on Oct 16, has raised concerns among bus operators. Malaysian Bus Operators Association (PMBOA) president Datuk Mohamad Ashfar Ali said no consultation had been held with the industry before the decision was announced.
He said many operators had invested in their own websites and ticketing systems to allow passengers to purchase tickets directly before obtaining QR codes from terminals to facilitate boarding.
Previously, passengers could buy express bus tickets directly at terminals, through online ticketing agents or via bus operators’ websites.
Under the new directive, terminals will have exclusive rights over ticket sales, trip management, departures and sales transactions, while charges for digital platforms will be imposed on bus operators rather than passengers.
However, APAD said passengers could still purchase tickets through OTAs or bus operators’ websites if the bus terminal was owned by the operator concerned.