JOHOR BARU: The high-speed rail (HSR) service between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore will have little impact on express bus service but may pose a threat to the aviation sector.
Express bus operators yesterday expressed confidence that since express bus was considered the cheapest and fastest mode of transport for inter-state travel, there was no way HSR could compete with them in terms of pricing.
As for speed, they said air travel was still the fastest means of transport but after considering the time spent to get to the airport and the waiting time before departure, it would not make much difference whether to travel by air or HSR.
Lim Han Weng, managing director of Handal Indah Sdn Bhd, which operates the inter-state Causeway Link express bus service, said travelling by express bus in Malaysia offered the lowest fare in the region.
While the fare structure of HSR had yet to be announced, he said it would be nothing less than RM150 for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore express service.
Using the KLIA Ekspres as a benchmark, Lim said a 55-kilometre journey from Kuala Lumpur to KLIA cost RM35 one way.
“Knowing that HSR will be built at a cost of RM38.4 billion, and the distance of about 350km between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, just guess what could be the ticket price for the HSR express service between the two cities.
“At present, a KL-Johor Baru express bus ticket costs only RM34 and travel time takes about four hours. Unless speed is the only thing that matters to a traveller, express bus remains the most affordable mode of transport between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru/Singapore,” he told the New Straits Times.
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