- 4 minutes ago
Pelaksanaan peraturan baharu APAD mengenai penjualan tiket bas ekspres mencetuskan perdebatan tentang keseimbangan antara kawal selia, inovasi digital dan kemudahan pengguna. Easybook berkongsi pandangan mengenai impaknya terhadap penumpang, pengendali dan transformasi sektor pengangkutan awam.
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00:00Malaysia's express bus industry is adjusting to the implementation of AFAD's new ticket sales regulations, which took effect on 1st
00:08November.
00:09While the move aims to strengthen oversight of ticket distribution and improve industry governance, it has also raised questions among
00:17passengers, operators and digital ticketing platform over how the new framework will be implemented in practice.
00:24The debate extends beyond ticket sales alone. Industry players argue that the issue highlights a broader challenge facing Malaysia's public
00:32transport sector.
00:34How to balance regulations, innovation and consumer convenience. As a company involved in both online ticketing and terminal technology solutions,
00:42Easybook believe greater integration between platform and transport infrastructure could be key to improving the passenger experience while advancing the
00:51industry's digital transformation.
00:53And for that, I welcome you, our guest, William Lee, CEO of Easybook. Thank you very much, William, for joining
00:59us.
01:00Firstly, what has been the immediate impact of the new ticket sales rules on passengers, bus operators and online ticketing
01:07platform since it came to FOSS on 1st November? Please share with us.
01:13Hi, Ms. Nina. Thanks for having me today. Okay. First, since the 1st November, there's another statement from APAD on
01:24the 5th November to announce to the public that this approach will be a soft landing.
01:30So they'll be carrying out this approach in by phases. So in terms of public perspective, nothing is changed. So
01:42they can still buy tickets as per normal in any platform that they prefer from the bus company websites or
01:49any agent websites, apps, until I mean further notice.
01:55So in terms of terminal side, we're still conducting more and more so-called discussion with bus companies and OTAs
02:07and so on and government side to discuss further how to execute these biophysis.
02:15From Easybook's perspective, what are the biggest misconceptions or areas of confusion surrounding the implementation of this policy?
02:25In our perspective, of course, we do afraid that the customer will confuse in terms of whether the ticket they
02:36purchased after 1st November, are there still any effect on their boarding in the terminals?
02:42Because so far, we can assure to the public that all the tickets that they purchased before and after 1st
02:50November are still effective in all terminals, until further so-called instruction from APAD.
02:58Yeah.
02:59And how significant are online ticketing platforms today within Malaysia's express bus ecosystem? And what would be the implications if
03:06passengers face fewer options when purchasing tickets?
03:13Okay.
03:14Okay. So, implications to the public, of course, when the choices are reduced to the terminals, of course, they will
03:24be there more inconvenience.
03:25They need to go to the terminals to buy tickets or even to go to the different terminals website to
03:31buy tickets instead of one central platform.
03:34Yeah. So, to the public, of course, they need more convenient ways to buy tickets, as in one central platform
03:42to compare all the tickets and they can buy return trees, buy multiple pickups.
03:47Yeah. In terms of bus companies, they also want as many platforms to sell the tickets as possible. What the
03:53bus company want is to fill up their seats.
03:55Yeah. Because the desers are getting higher and higher, it's more expensive. The costs as well, the parts as well.
04:02After COVID, all the parts maintenance, all the costs are increasing and so on.
04:08Yeah. So, that's why the more agents that can fill up the seats, the merrier. Yeah. Because we are not
04:14only to cater for the local travelers, we also cater for tourists as well.
04:19That's why the bus company link to all the travel agencies overseas, like China, Europe, Singapore, Indonesia and so on,
04:27Thailand as well.
04:28Yeah. So, of course, local side, people also want more channels to buy tickets that they prefer.
04:35For example, those with different currency payments or different method of payments like eWallet, right now and so on.
04:43Yeah. I mean, whichever platform that they prefer. Yeah.
04:47This is some of the options that we can take a look on. And take a look at EasyBook also
04:51is very unique because it operates both online ticketing services and technology infrastructure
04:56at transport terminals. So, William, how can these two ecosystems work together to create a better passenger experience rather than
05:05competing against one another?
05:08Okay. So, in the EasyBook perspective, we are not only selling tickets online, we also provide a terminal management solution
05:17to more than 15 terminals in Malaysia,
05:19especially on the East Coast and East Malaysia, Sabah Sarawak. So, we as a vertical integrator from the ticket source
05:30distribution to the after-sales service, the boarding process,
05:34we make sure the customers have a seamless process from ticket purchase to the boarding. So, everything, the whole value
05:42chain is integrated. Yeah.
05:44And we also provide the system for almost half the bus companies in Malaysia, ferry company as well. So, to
05:53manage their tickets and so on. So, it's from source to distribution to after-sales boarding process.
06:00Alright. This is all the supply within the ecosystem that we can understand how EasyBook is providing a smooth transmission.
06:07But many would argue that passengers care most about the convenience, reliable information and seamless travel, as we know they
06:17have many plans towards daily life.
06:19And how can the industry ensure these priorities are protected while complying with regulatory requirements?
06:28Okay. So, to the public, the governments, of course, the policy is to ensure the stakeholders from the terminals, from
06:47the public, from the transport companies are all well protected and well integrated,
06:55so that the whole process of boarding, purchasing tickets are seamless.
07:02Yeah. So, I mean, government, I mean, trying to, I mean, have been doing a good job to make sure
07:09that the things are seamless.
07:12But, of course, at the same time, we need to so-called, I mean, listen to all the stakeholders and
07:21make sure the benefits,
07:24the benefits is optimised for each party, for transport company as well, for travellers as well, and for terminal as
07:30well.
07:32William, looking beyond ticket sales, does this issue expose larger challenges around digitalisations and interoperability within Malaysia's public transport sector?
07:45Yeah. So, we want to understand if this issue expose larger challenges around digitalisations and interoperability within Malaysia's public transport
08:05sector.
08:06Yeah. So, of course, the industry is towards the digitalisation process. So, from the terminal being digitalised and customers are
08:29able to book the tickets easily,
08:31and the bus company, and the bus company also can sell the tickets more widely to all the agents.
08:37Yeah. So, to make sure that all these parties are being taken care of.
08:45And Easybook has invested in technologies such as self-check-in system and facial recognition gates.
08:52How important is technology integration in improving efficiency, reducing congestion, and enhancing the overall travel experience?
09:01So, in terms of our terminal technologies, we always need to improve and enhance the technology to increase the public's
09:11so-called experience.
09:12So, we impose new technologies such as face recognition to make sure the identity of the customer they're boarding the
09:20buses are being recorded,
09:22so that we know who's on board.
09:26Yeah. In case there's any criminals, any terrorists on board the buses, we also can identify.
09:33And we can rely on the police department and so on to make sure they are so-called dealt with
09:41or captured in the terminals or at the destination.
09:48And if you were advising APAT today, what practical solution of remote would you propose to balance regulatory oversight,
09:54industry sustainability, technological innovation, and consumer convenience?
10:00Yeah. I think good question. We need to start a balance.
10:05So, while we impose more and more advanced technology to make sure the public's safety is being taken care of,
10:14so we also need to be aware of the convenience that the public, that they need to travel.
10:22So, there's always a balance that we need to strike. It's somewhere in between.
10:28Yeah. It's not too tight and then it's not too so-called lenient. Yeah.
10:36And ultimately, we understand that the future of Malaysian Express Bus Industry is not just about how tickets are sold,
10:42but how regulation and technology can work together to deliver a more seamless, efficient, and passenger-friendly experience.
10:49Thanks to William Lee, CEO of Easybook, for this insight and perspective.
10:54And that brings us to the end of today's Niaga Awani.
10:57Thank you for joining us. I'm Niaga Awani. I'm Nina Rozman. I'm sorry. Have a great day and goodbye.
11:01Bye.