Don't buy VTL tickets through 3rd parties, warn bus operators

The two bus operators plying the land vaccinated travel lane (VTL) between Singapore and Malaysia have urged travellers not to buy tickets through third parties, following the emergence of services offering to purchase tickets on their behalf.

One listing on online marketplace Carousell is asking for $120 per ticket for a trip from Singapore to Malaysia, eight times the price one would pay if purchasing an adult ticket directly from the operators.

Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported yesterday that travellers are willing to pay inflated prices to get bus tickets as they are either not free to secure tickets at the time they go on sale, or find it a challenge to purchase the tickets on their own.

A service provider listed on Carousell requires a traveller to make payment and submit personal details before attempts to purchase tickets on the traveller's behalf will be made.

Transtar Travel managing director Elson Yap urged customers to purchase their tic-kets only on the company's two official sales channels, its website and e-commerce platform Shopee.

He said it is not safe to disclose personal details to third parties. Such details, including passport numbers and date of birth of travellers, are required when purchasing the tickets.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Causeway Link said the company has tried to track down people who have posted on social media platforms that they are offering the service of purchasing tickets, to stop them from doing so.

She added that such services emerged when VTL bus tickets first went on sale and operators' websites received overwhelming traffic. Some used the situation as an opportunity to profit by purchasing tickets on behalf of travellers who were unable to do so.

Tickets purchased from both operators are non-transferable, preventing scalpers from buying tickets in bulk and selling them at inflated prices.

Causeway Link said in a Facebook post on Dec 18 that it was aware of tickets being sold on channels other than its website - the only place through which it sells VTL tickets.

"Please be advised that Causeway Link Management has the right to invalidate any unauthorised sold tickets outside our official service provider," it said on the post.

While Causeway Link has sold all its tickets for next month, Transtar Travel is still selling tickets for one particular day of travel every day. Tickets for travel on Jan 27 will go on sale today.

On Dec 22, Singapore suspended the sale of new VTL tickets for travel into the Republic or Malaysia until Jan 20.