SINGAPORE : About 300 people were left fuming after the
agency they had booked to travel with left them in the
lurch.
They had paid to go to Malaysia by coach with Alisan
Express and Tour.
They're set to go to Malaysia, having paid about S$30 to
places such as Kuala Lumpur, Genting and Malacca.
They said the coaches were scheduled to leave from 7am on
Saturday from Beach Road, where the agency operates.
By 8.30am, there was still no sign of any bus.
"They asked us to check in at 7.30am. We actually reached here at
7am. So we waited for a few hours already but they never showed
up," said Evelyn Chan, a customer.
"We're intending to go Genting over the long weekend. We came at
6.30 this morning, but the shop was closed. (There's) no buses,
nothing," said customer Chew Woon Ee.
The customers tried calling the tour agency that was providing the
service but said they could not get anyone.
Some of them decided to travel with other agencies while some
changed their plans.
An association representing some 20 travel agencies and bus
operators also came to the rescue.
The Express Bus Agencies Association said it acted after it
received the first call of distress at about 11pm on Friday.
Sebastian Yap, spokesman of the Express Bus Agencies Association
said: "We went down to the office to look for the person in charge
but he was not there. We immediately called our members to see what
kind of help we can offer for the passengers who are
affected.
"About 1(am), we managed to get hold of a coach to ferry some of
the passengers back. Another two hours later, at almost 3(am), we
managed to get another vehicle to get them back."
As for Alisan Express and Tour, it is still not clear what had
happened to the lapse in service.
Channel NewsAsia understands from industry sources that its owner
could have run into debt problems.
Police are investigating the case.
- CNA /ls