Not ready yet electronically

Chaotic first day at Inanam bus terminal

By Muguntan Vanar

KOTA KINABALU: A computer glitch at the city’s new RM4.5mil centralised bus terminal threw a spanner into the works on its first day of operations at its new location.

The computerised ticketing system failed forcing the terminal manager, Kota Kinabalu City Hall, to let bus operators sell their own tickets.

“It was crazy this morning. They (terminal operators) were unable to issue tickets as many destinations were not included in the system”, said Tung Ma Express director Sim Vui Fui.

He added that when some passengers requested for a particular bus company they got tickets of another.

The computer glitch is expected to be resolved within the week.

The bus terminal was built in suburban Inanam for buses coming from the north and to relocate the terminal from the congested city centre.

Bus operators, who were earlier told they should pay 10% charge on ticket sales and the daily RM67 parking fee for each bus, had worked out a compromise for a three-month trial with Kota Kinabalu City Hall Holdings Sdn Bhd, the commercial arm of the city administrators.

Under the compromise worked out at the eleventh hour before the shift yesterday, City Hall has agreed to only charge 8% commission on ticket sales and scrap the parking fee.

City Hall Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim said he might reduce the commission to 7% if the terminal operator made profits but would raise it to 10% if there were losses - The Star.