Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS-BST)’s management has embarked a new strategy in attracting bus operators into the new terminal by building additional 30 counters meant to be run by operators themselves.
Komunitikini understands that the new counters targets at operators who refuse to bow to the centre-ticketing system currently practiced by TBS-BST’s management and hence decline to move into the new terminal.
The new counter however imposes a condition that only operators who are equipped with own e-ticketing system are allowed to rent the space, said Land Public Transport Commission chairman Syeh Hamid Albar after a site visit today.
“Failure to have their own system will translate to the management of TBS taking care of their ticket-selling,” he added, referring the centre-ticket selling system.
He also called on the remaining south-bound bus operators, who still operate at the Bukit Jalil temporary terminal, to move into the RM570 million terminal by March 1.
New counters temporary?
The additional counters, which located besides the center-ticketing counters, are due to be completed tomorrow.
However, Syad Hamid refused to answer whether bus operators are allowed to run their own counters while having tickets sold at the center-ticketing counters.
“Anyhow, there will not a ticket’s price difference by the same company,” he said.
Later on, an insider told Komunitikini that the new counters will not be a permanent structure as they are meant to lure operators to the place.
The six-storey TBS-BTS currently houses 14 bus operators plying for the south routes since opening on January 1 this year.
It is fraught with controversies whereby the management Maju TMAS Sdn Bhd rejected the hawkers who used to do business at the site to get a space in the new terminal, while impose higher surcharges on the bus operators.
Syed Hamid however said that the RM1-per-ticket surcharge on the operators has not been started.
Meanwhile, a bus operator, who spoke on the condition of anonymous, said bus company owners generally applauded the centre-ticketing system.
“Actually those who don’t like it are the bus company agents because their margins will be taken away by the management,”
“For (the owners), it’s better we pay RM1 to the management than giving higher rate to the agents,” he said.
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