Checks at the Medan Gopeng express bus terminal and Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) showed tickets to such destinations, between Aug 13 and 26, were fully booked.

 

And in anticipation of the high demands for tickets during the festive season, both public transport providers here are looking into the possibility of increasing their services.

 

A ticket seller in Medan Gopeng, who declined to be named, said express bus tickets to Kedah, Perlis and Penang for Aug 13 to Aug 26 were no longer available.

 

"We still have tickets for travel between Aug 6 and Aug 12 and Aug 27 and Aug 31... even then, they are selling out fast,” he said.

 

The first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri is expected to fall on Aug 19.

 

Student Susie Ismail, 19, who was met at the bus terminal yesterday, said she had purchased her ticket back to Jitra for Raya last month.

 

“I bought the ticket early to avoid any disappointment,” she said.

 

Meanwhile, an employee at the Plusliner Sdn Bhd ticket counter said many people had already purchased their tickets much earlier.

 

An operator of Konsortium Transnasional Bhd, who wanted to be known only as Ishak, said tickets to Kuala Terengganu and Kota Baru for morning and night trips from Aug 13 onwards were already sold out.

 

“We only have a few tickets left for the night trip on Aug 18. Since there are high demands for more tickets, Transnational may engage extra drivers and buses for additional trips to popular destinations such Kota Baru, Kuala Terengganu, Dungun and other destinations,” he said, adding that the consortium has a fleet of more than 1,500 buses plying more than 250 routes.

 

Meanwhile, KTM Intercity marketing manager Mohd Noordin Kimi urged all travellers to purchase their train tickets early to avoid disappointment.

 

KTM has allocated a total of 71,756 seats for Hari Raya from Aug 13 to 26 and about 45,000 tickets from Aug 25 to Aug 29 for selected destinations and the majority of the tickets had been sold out.