Tour firms boost bus fleets

SINGAPORE , 16 October 2017: Scania Singapore handed over its largest-ever, one-time delivery of 20 upscale buses to two customers – Transtar Travel & Tours and WTS Travel & Tours – at the Travel Malaysia 2017 event in Singapore, last week.

At the handover ceremony, each customer took delivery of 10 Scania K-series coaches that claim to have superior fuel economy.

The acquisition of the new coaches will allow the two companies to introduce new routes to promote cross-border travel between Singapore and Malaysia. Read more

Phuket limits buses on hillside road

PHUKET, 20 September 2017: Phuket authorities are banning tour buses of 21 seats, or more, from driving over Patong Hill during peak hours.

Authorities were installing signs, Tuesday, on both sides of the hilly road that leads to Patong Bay. The road descends in a series of hairpin bends for around 3 to 4 km.

The signs ban buses from driving over the hill from 0600 to 0900 in the morning and 1600 to 2300 in the evening. Read more

Phuket’s safety needs review

PHUKET, 15 August 2017: Phuket hoteliers have enough on their mind worrying about the massive increase in new hotels rooms just over the horizon, but there is more to fret about if you have a hotel on Patong Bay.

Hoteliers fear Chinese tour operators might take their tour groups to other beaches on the island to avoid the risky bus transfers to Patong Bay.

Three serious tour bus accidents occurred over the last six weeks on a hilly road that climbs a forested ridge and then drops down in a series of hairpin bends to the popular resort. Read more

Are Thailand’s tour buses safe

PHUKET, 9 August 2017: Thailand’s horrifically poor record for road safety was highlighted again when a tour bus carrying 25 Chinese tourists careered off a hilly road in Phuket and almost plunged down a steep mountain slope, late Sunday evening.

The accident occurred near Patong beach close to the scene of two other earlier accidents that occurred 11 July and 30 June.

The latest accident follows reports in the travel trade that Chinese tour operators have cancelled hotel allotments at some hotels in Patong Bay saying they would not risk transferring their guests over the hilly road that leads to the bay. Read more

Double deckers screech to a halt

HANOI, 26 July 2017: Just weeks after double decker tourist buses were introduced at tourist destinations, Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has called a temporary halt to the project.

Tuoi Tre News reported the decision was announced only seven months after Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved a five-year pilot programme, in November 2016, to operate double-decker tourist buses in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Quang Nam, Hue, Lam Dong and Kien Giang.

According to the transport ministry, the trial programme has been temporarily put on hold until new directions are given by the PM based on feedback from ministries and local authorities. Read more

Double deck bus debut in Hanoi

HANOI, 5 July 2017: The first double-deck bus to ferry tourists around the city on sightseeing tours started its trial run in Hanoi last Friday.

Local media reported double-deck, open-top buses, the first of their kind in the capital city, are providing services under the management of the Transport Corporation Hanoi and Truong Hai Automobile.

Each double-deck bus can seat up to 14 persons with two specially designed seats assigned for wheelchair users on the lower deck. The upper open-deck can seat up to 42 passengers. The bus has a retractable roof that can be closed during bad weather. Read more

New airport bus service

BANGKOK, 2 June 2017: A new bus service launched, Thursday, between Suvarnabhumi Airport and Khao San Road and Sanam Luang should make it more convenient for backpackers to transfer from the airport to their favourite downtown haunt.

Operated by Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, the S1 Line operates with eight Euro 2 buses from 0600 to 2000. The fare is THB60 one-way.

The bus will depart from Suvarnabhumi airport passenger terminal’s ground floor Gate 7 every 30 minutes. Read more

Scenic views from a bus

HO CHI MINH CITY, 25 January 2017: An open upper deck-bus service will be introduced in June to offer tourists city tours with scenic views from the upper deck.

Local media reported HCMC-based Anh Viet Tourist Company has asked the city’s government for permission to launch open-top buses to serve tourists. It needs a special permit to operate the unusual two-deck buses.

The company CEO, Nguyen Khoa Luan, was quoted saying the bus service would be up and running in June, this year, if things go to plan. Read more

Bus tours gain mixed reviews

HANOI, 21 December 2016: Danang and Hanoi will be the first two cities to launch open-top buses that will offer tourists city tours.

Danang’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism deputy director, Tran Chi Cuong, told local media that Thanh Do Investment Development and Construction JSC will operate 30 single, or double-deck buses, in Danang next month.

In the initial phase, the buses will take tourists to major places of interest in the inner-city area. Read more

Vietnam to improve city tours

HANOI, 13 December 2016: Open-top, double-decker buses will be introduced to Vietnamese cities to offer sightseeing tours to foreign visitors.

Local media reported that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has agreed in principle to deploy double-decker open-top buses in seven cities and provinces to help tourism.

The PM said high quality 16-45-seater buses would also be used for shuttle services to airports in a related move to upgrade the quality of tourist services. Read more

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