Touts at Sg Nibong bus terminal a bane, say bus companies

Competition for customers at a bus terminal in Penang and the existence of unauthorised canvassers have irked independent bus operators.

As a result, a group of 15 bus operators at the Sungai Nibong Terminal has submitted a complaint to the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) urging it to look into security and safety issues.

“These illegal canvassers control all the entry and exit points at the terminal and herd all ticket buyers to counters which pay them a commission.

“As a result, hardly any buyer goes to the other counters to purchase tickets,” said Edward Lim, spokesperson for the 15 bus operators.

“This means that only three bus companies who pay such commissions will get customers. Is this fair?” he said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

Lim said the affected bus operators had raised the issue with the terminal's management but was told that the scenario was merely one of “business competition”.

To make matters worse, the terminal's management has issued passes to these illegal canvassers, Lim claimed.

“Who do these canvassers work for? Which company do they belong to and what is their job scope? And did the terminal's management discuss the matter with all the bus operators?” he asked.

According to Lim, the canvassers demand a 50 percent commission from ticket sales. For example, if a ticket to Kuala Lumpur costs RM38, the promoters will demand RM18 per ticket, Lim said.

Daily, there are about 108 bus trips to Kuala Lumpur from the Sungai Nibong Terminal with the illegal canvassers possibly earning more than RM10,000 monthly, he revealed.

“All they have to do is lure the ticket-buyers to the three companies that pay them commissions but is this fair to other bus operators? If we do not want to pay them the commissions, they say they will divert all our customers to other companies that pay them the commissions,” Lim said.

“The amount demanded is too high, unreasonable and will result in bus operators like us losing money as we have a lot of operating costs to pay as well,” Lim lamented.

He added the illegal canvassers gave a “bad image” to the industry and the terminal, including to tourists.

He claimed that they “smoked inside the terminal, sported an unkempt look and were aggressive” towards those who did not listen to them.

“We have approached the local assembly person and sent a letter to the state exco for transport but they could not solve the problem,” Lim said.

Yesterday, Lim attended a meeting with JPJ representatives but the discussions were fruitless, he said, as the terminal's management “backed” the illegal canvassers.

Malaysiakini has contacted MBPP mayor Yew Tung Sean who said his office will be issuing a statement about the matter today. - Mkini