MELAKA: Malaccans working in Singapore are planning for the trip back home next Chinese New Year.

Many were seen at the office of Coachliner 707 Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd at Pantai Peringgit after the bus company started selling tickets for CNY 2024 on November 1.

Members of the public were already in the line since 8 a.m. before the ticket counters opened at 9.30 a.m.

By 10 a.m., the crowd has increased to 55.

The company prepared chairs and snacks for the crowd waiting for their turns to buy the bus tickets.

They were mostly parents buying tickets for their children working in Singapore.

Jas Yong, the bus company manager, said bus tickets are available for purchase at the counters and online.

Many prefer to buy at the counters as they can choose their seats directly and save money on surcharges imposed by online portals.

Many parents are buying bus tickets in advance, opting for the last bus to leave Melaka so that they get to spend more time with their children, said Yong.

The price of bus tickets during Chinese New Year is slightly higher as the company has to pay the staff three times more during the festive season, she said, adding that maintenance cost is higher during the period.

While a trip from Singapore to Melaka may take four hours on normal days, it may stretch to eight hours during the peak season, she said.

“The bus fare will be back to normal after the festive season,” she said.

More bus trips are available from Singapore to Melaka few days before Chinese New Year, the same for bus trips from Melaka to Singapore after Chinese New Year, she said.

The company starts selling CNY tickets three months in advance, she said.

Few years ago, members of the public brought chairs to Melaka Sentral while lining up to buy bus tickets for Chinese New Year at midnight even though the sale counters opened only at 8 a.m.

The company then changed the hours for selling CNY tickets to afternoon.

“The crowd started to form as early as 8 a.m.,” Yong said.