Despite the previous negative experience, I opted for Starmart again for their Singapore to Kuala Lumpur midnight departure due to their high frequency and affordable fares despite being the start of a long weekend, and I’ve not experienced anything negative so far for the northbound journey, so here it goes.
I picked this journey to make it to KLIA for an afternoon flight the next day as the flight was a lot cheaper if I departed from there than from Changi Airport, and since I’m travelling light with some time to spare, this seems like a good combination.
This article was originally published on 3 September 2018 on BusTravel Station.
As this was the start of the National Day long weekend, the staircase of Golden Mile Tower feels more like The Float@Marina Bay instead with the immense crowd.
The queue to check-in for the bus ride also u-turned itself. But thankfully, this was quite a quick procedure as always.
Probably to save time, the counter staff immediately printed my ticket out from the system and drew circles and boxes of the important details on it, and proceeded to get the next passenger to the counter before sending me off.
I’m used to transfer buses being labelled Bus 1 to Bus 4 or something, but today, I’m all the way on Bus 17. Wow.
When standing by at the driveway at midnight, the staff were calling for around Bus 4 to Bus 6 only, so I knew this was going to take a long while.
The bus calls went on until about 1am, when the staff came around to check for tickets of everyone left. This was followed by announcing for passengers to KL Sentral on Bus 17 that there will no longer be a transfer bus, but rather, a direct bus all the way from Golden Mile Tower to KL Sentral, and asked us to wait just a little while longer. The staff then came around to write the new bus number on all the tickets. Despite the huge crowd, they all seem to be able to maintain their composure and started to lighten up with us since we’re the last bus to depart.
About 10 minutes after that, the direct bus to KL Sentral pulled in, which formed the very last Starmart departure of the day.
Inside the rather full bus to KL Sentral.
The bus departed at 1.10am – 71 minutes delayed from schedule. But I guess with the amount of buses they had for this long weekend, and with the driveway only able to fit 2 buses at a time, this was to me quite understandable. Furthermore, they didn’t surge the fare for the long weekend, so I shouldn’t be complaining too much anyway.
The journey went without a hitch via Tuas Checkpoint and Tanjung Kupang CIQ. With the late departure, there wasn’t too much of a crowd at both checkpoints, which was a plus point.
The bus arrived at KL Sentral at 6.25am, thanks to the minimal crowd at both checkpoints, and dropped off at the entrance to the KLIA Ekspres departure side.
Overall, a simple and fuss-free journey to KL once again, with my faith in Starmart somewhat restored. Here, it’s just a short transit in KL for breakfast before I head off to KLIA to catch my flight to Hanoi.
I have very bad experience with Starmart Bus. i take 23-01-2020 from Singapore Boonlay Place back to melaka to celebrate CNY with family. i place my luggage in luggage store compartment than go to take my seat. After few minute bus driver move the bus to another parking place to pick up passenger. He do not close the luggage compartment door. My luggage was pinned under bus wheel a starmart passenger saw the whole incident she climb up bus asking who store luggage in luggage compartment, the luggage was destroy pinned under bus wheel. Please go to take a look. i so shocked go to see my luggage. i so angry and on the spot call to starmart company make report and complaint. They ask me when arrive to Malaysia custom report to their starmart admin & they will take photo follow up my case get back to me as soon as possible within a days. But i do not get any call. When i back to singapore i call the & follow up the company told me they dun have any report case of my file ask me write a email to company. After i write email they give me a call with 2 option. 1st compensate luggage will send me few photo to choose. 2nd option 1 ticket. i told them 1 ticket cannot cover my loss i prefer luggage. than called me again tell me luggage company not open, than a called again told me luggage sold out, after that called me told me they not covered personal belonging. I tell them 1 ticket cannot covered my loss, they say will offer few ticket ask me go to their office at Golden Mile to place booking. I ask them write email replies to me. They replies i accept 1 return ticket only with SGD 45 value. I write back to them i not promise & take their offer as i said cannot covered my loss with 1 return ticket they say that the best company can offer me. I request bank in to my account, they say will ask management. The bus ticket company red bus call me Starmart will not replies me any email, try to call them. Anything go through whatapp or tele conversation that is the best offer they can give. A middle man pass message to me. Mean i customer not given a choice is by force accept the offer. I decide boycott starmart with their bad follow up service & bad experience i have gone through with them.