LTA Does Not Manage Operational Matters of Singapore-Malaysia Express Buses, STB Sidesteps On Clarifications

You may have seen my experience with Cityline 2 months ago when their bus did not show up for my booked trip from Singapore Lavender MRT to KL Sentral. Some comments on YouTube suggested that I write in to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to let them know of what happened. Here are some shocking discoveries when communicating with LTA and STB.

DO NOT TAKE CITYLINE TRAVEL!!! BUS NEVER SHOWED UP from Singapore Lavender MRT to KL Sentral

LTA Does Not Manage Operational Matters of Singapore-Malaysia Express Buses

This did not come as a surprise to me, but rather, just a confirmation. However, to the layman, this would be rather shocking that LTA does not manage the operational matters of Singapore-Malaysia express buses.

We received your email of 8 June 2024 regarding Cityline Travel express bus.

Please allow us to apologise for taking longer than expected to get back to you on this matter. I would like to share that LTA does not manage the operational matters of Cityline Travel express bus. Singapore Tourism Board (STB) would be in a better position to review on your feedback. As such, I have shared your feedback with STB for their review.

In the meantime, should you need to follow up with them, you may wish to contact them directly via https://www.stb.gov.sg/content/stb/en/footer/contact-us.html.

We hope this helps. Thank you for writing in.

There are only 5 types of buses in Singapore, namely, private hire bus, private bus, excursion bus, school bus, and omnibus. As Singapore-Malaysia express buses do not fall under any of these 5 categories, LTA does not manage the operational matters of it.

Since this reply was more of just a confirmation of my hunch, rather than being unaware, I was not concerned with it. It just made it more clear.

However, Singapore Tourism Board (STB)’s reply was much more concerning.

STB Sidesteps On Issues I Wanted Addressed

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) first summarised my feedback in their own words, but the story remained the same. This was followed by requests for evidence of booking and communication with Cityline.

I then sent STB their requested documents, including the link to my YouTube video and what I had to do to get to KL. In the reply, I also noted to STB that BusOnlineTicket is only the online travel agency (OTA) selling tickets on behalf of Cityline in this case, and Cityline is the bus operator. I have also since received my refund from BusOnlineTicket.

In their reply, STB was glad that my refund amount was refunded by BusOnlineTicket.

We hope this email finds you well. Our travel agent licensing team has informed us that City Line Global has been in touch with you regarding the above case.

Additionally, we are pleased to hear that they have provided a service recovery as a gesture of goodwill.

Thank you for contacting us, and we trust that everything will be resolved satisfactorily.

STB followed with another reply saying that “City Line Global has been in touch with (me) regarding the above case” and that they are “pleased to hear that they have provided a service recovery as a gesture of goodwill”.

This set of alarm bells in my head but I was busy during that period to reply STB immediately since I needed to phrase my email reply too.

I am confused with your reply dated 5 July 2024.

The only conversations I had with City Line Global are by the emails and WhatsApp screenshots that I have sent you. City Line Global has not been further in touch with me aside from the emails and WhatsApp screenshots that I have sent you.

Moreover, the only recovery that I have received is the refund of my bus fare via BusOnlineTicket. This, in my opinion, is a case of non-provision of service. No service was recovered, in my opinion.

I am deeply concerned about this refund of a non-provision of service being considered a “service recovery as a gesture of goodwill”, as this allegedly implies that my refund, when I was not provided a service which I have paid in full for, was out of goodwill, and that I am legally not obligated to receive a refund even when a service that I have paid in full for is not provided.

I wish to clarify the term “service recovery as a gesture of goodwill” used in your reply dated 5 July 2024, and if the details of your reply dated 5 July 2024 was after further correspondence with City Line Global and that they may have provided you or STB with information that I am not aware of.

tl;dr I then said that the only recovery that I have received is the refund of my bus fare via BusOnlineTicket, deeply concerned about this refund of a non-provision of service being considered a “service recovery as a gesture of goodwill”, and wished to clarify the term “service recovery as a gesture of goodwill” used in their reply.

STB then replied, saying that they have received an email from Cityline, apparently addressed to me, with details on what was in that email.

I did not receive that email from Cityline.

I then did a manual check of my email and informed STB that I did not receive such an email, and this is is yet another example of a “concerning lack of accountability and transparency on Cityline’s part”, which is the term paraphrased by STB from my original feedback in the first email.

Giving the benefit of doubt, I first asked STB if the email was even addressed to the correct email address. I added on that my initial email STB was never about looking for service recovery, as I am most likely never going to use Cityline’s services again. My intention is to let a governing body know about such situations on the ground, and take action on the errant express bus operator and travel agent.

However, after my correspondence with both LTA and STB, it seems that there is a concerning lack of recourse for the public for such non-provision of service by Singapore express bus operators to Malaysia.

8 days later, I received the said email from Cityline explaining on the details leading up to my pick-up point cancellation. Cityline claims that “Lavender MRT pick-up point was called to be cancelled that day and changed to Bugis MRT instead” and their “operation staff had missed contacting (me) to inform (me) of the changes of the pick-up point and this has caused for the bus no show at Lavender MRT”.

They then added on that “In due course (Cityline) have acted accordingly and initiated the refund of your tickets which you have mentioned in your email also. Please note we (Cityline) is the transport operator for the service, Bus Online Tickets (sic) is a booking platform that you have booked for.”

I felt insulted by this reply as this implies that I do not know of the refund procedure, since I had already laid it out from the start that BusOnlineTicket is only the OTA, and Cityline is the bus operator, and I had already received my refund. I am unclear of why Cityline is still pushing it to BusOnlineTicket for my refund, when BusOnlineTicket has already completed my refund.

I reiterate again that my initial email STB was never about looking for service recovery, as I am most likely never going to use Cityline’s services again. My intention is to let a governing body know about such situations on the ground, and take action on the errant express bus operator and travel agent. However, after my correspondence with both LTA and STB, it seems that there is a concerning lack of recourse for the public for such non-provision of service by Singapore express bus operators to Malaysia.

Cityline then offered me “complimentary 2 seats X 2ways Tickets Singapore – Kuala Lumpur – Singapore (Open dates) as (their) gratitude towards (their) customer”, which was in the email of what STB received first.

Following Cityline’s email at 3.41pm, STB replied at 4.45pm apologising for the “delay in (their) response as (their) relevant team was coordinating with the travel agent” and that they “have just received the email copy that was sent to (me) today at 3.41pm.”

Following their 4.45pm reply, they sent me a case closure email at 5pm.

Wait, what?

I replied STB when I got home at night, asking again about my unaddressed concerns and queries.

However, I was met with an automatic reply saying that my case has been closed.

It’s been more than 3 weeks since my email was sent, so I don’t think STB will be addressing my concerns and queries. However, I remain hopeful. For the record, here are my concerns and queries again:

My initial email to STB was never about looking for service recovery, as I am most likely never going to use Cityline’s services again. My intention is to let a governing body know about such situations on the ground, and take action on the errant express bus operator and travel agent.

Including this new development for this case, where I at first did not receive any of your aforementioned details from Cityline, and Cityline has only informed STB on a supposed service recovery, and now STB and I have received the supposed second email after I have informed STB of the non-receipt of the first, will STB be able to take action on this errant Singapore travel agency and bus operator?

I am deeply concerned that there is a lack of recourse for the public for such non-provision of service by Singapore express bus operators to Malaysia, and that my case has been closed despite my concerns and queries not being addressed.

As for my free ticket for Cityline, I informed Cityline with cc to STB saying that I would be rejecting their offer since I am most likely not going to use their services again.

Concerning lack of recourse for the public for such non-provision of service by Singapore express bus operators to Malaysia

It seems that there is indeed a concerning lack of recourse for the public for such non-provision of service by Singapore express bus operators to Malaysia. I am not sure about licensing, since I am only a passenger. However, I did kind of know that LTA sort of does not manage express buses to Malaysia, and this incident confirms it. STB can potentially handle travel agents doing outbound sales from Singapore, but this incident left me annoyed and confused, since much of my concerns were not addressed and STB was “pleased” with Cityline’s reply. Following Cityline’s “resending” of the email to me, my STB case was closed without my concerns being addressed.

For what is worth, based on this experience communicating with LTA and STB, I will be quite afraid of taking express buses to Malaysia, as it seems that there are no regulations for the express bus operators to follow when in Singapore. It may be no wonder with various issues such as “PZ transfers” and no-show buses such as mine, nothing can be done.

In fact, with the recent exposé by CNA on the Tuas “interchange” situation, LTA could only react by fining buses for illegal parking, instead of cracking down on the more obvious and serious problem of why Malaysian Bas Persiaran are potentially operating outbound bus services from Singapore with customers from a third country, and if the Bas Persiaran are licensed to do so. Just like how there is a clamp down on illegal cross-border passenger transport services using foreign-registered vehicles as under the Road Traffic Act, all vehicles, including foreign-registered vehicles, must have a valid public service vehicle licence (PSVL) to provide taxi or chauffeured private-hire car services.

With the lack of protection by Singapore authorities for passengers on Singapore express buses to Malaysia, as there is no clear or definite Singapore act or legislation covering cross-border express buses to further destinations than JB, I am actually quite concerned about travelling on an express bus from and to Singapore now, regardless of how reputable the bus company may be.

I note that Singapore defines a “cross‑border bus service” as a bus service consisting of the carriage of passengers in a bus (a) between Singapore and Johor; and (b) for journeys with more than 2 bus stopping points in Singapore. Also, a cross‑border bus service is excluded from the definition of “regular route service” in section 2 of the Bus Services Industry Act 2015.

I think I now feel safer taking a Malaysian express bus within Malaysia instead of such cross-border express buses to Singapore, since there is a proper definition of Express Bus and guidelines in Malaysia by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) for express bus operators to follow.