If there’s one thing Singaporeans love, it’s escaping the island whenever there’s a long weekend ahead.
This year, Chinese New Year falls during a long weekend, with public holidays on Wednesday (29 January 2025) and Thursday (30 January 2025). With five days off, the most natural choice for many is to book a trip.
For Singaporeans with family in Malaysia, it’s also a time to balik kampung and celebrate the holiday with their loved ones.
Some Singaporeans, who may not be celebrating but are still looking for a holiday, might be scrambling to secure flights or bus tickets to Malaysia. In past years, some would even book months in advance to ensure they could get a ticket.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the case this year.
Lower Demand for Coaches to Malaysia for CNY 2024
You probably would’ve expected the bus tickets to be sold out during the CNY period for now.
If you haven’t gotten your bus tickets yet, you’re in luck.
The sales of express bus tickets are below expectations, even though Chinese New Year is just two weeks away.
Mr Lim Eow Heng, an express bus operator told The Star that the demand for tickets has been surprisingly the same as pre-festive season, with no surge in bookings.
This could be because people prefer to drive back to their hometowns, enjoying the food and scenery along the long journey.
While tickets haven’t sold out as they typically would, Kelantan-based bus operator Laili Ismail expects ticket sales to pick up in the coming week or two, as some people still haven’t planned their leave days and, therefore, haven’t been able to purchase tickets.
Fares for Singapore-Malaysia route nearly doubled for CNY period
For routes from Singapore to various Malaysian states, there has been a noticeable increase in prices for coaches to certain destinations, particularly Malacca.
A search on Easybook, one of Singapore’s largest transport companies offering bus bookings to Malaysia, shows this trend.
Typically, a one-way bus ticket from Singapore to Malacca on an off-peak day costs around $30. However, during the CNY period (on 28 January 2025), the price rose to as high as $50.
Similarly, a one-way ticket from Singapore to Penang on 28 January 2025 ranges from $55 to $65.
Fortunately, the price for a one-way ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur remains unchanged at an average of $30.
Within Malaysia, a one-way bus ticket from Malacca to Penang costs between $12 and $16.
Singapore’s Chinese New Year public holidays fall on 29 January and 30 January 2025, with many planning to take leave on 31 January to enjoy a five-day long weekend.
If you’re planning to head to Malaysia or travel within Malaysia by bus, it’s advisable to book your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
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