Larkin Bus Terminal Upgrading Complete...almost

[Zitrone]

Some new pictures to share. Definitely good news for those who travel out to other parts of West Malaysia via Larkin.

The new bus terminal is definitely less sleazy, better lighting, more orderly, and less touts. Instead of hunting up and down the aisle to find the next outgoing bus or bus company, and squinting to read the handwritten timetable, it's now a one-stop ticket counter to purchase a bus ticket from any company, according to amalgamated bus schedule on the computer screen.

I have not bought any ticket using the new system though.

It will be great if someone can share their experience here.

Check Bus Schedule and Buy Ticket from counter. The counters are now facing the shops, not the bus platforms.

Self-Help machine

Ticket Screen.

I have missed out a picture of the enclosed waiting area which looks like an airport departure gate, with security officers.This area separates the public area of shops from the genuine travellers.

Platforms B (behind ticket counter), C and D (middle)

Bus Platform for Bus Service 170

 

[beanstalk6]

This certainly looks like an upgrade to bring it up to par to standards in KL and Bangkok. Will there be less touting and unregulated services? We shall see.

 

[buswhiz]

TBS in KL is a very successful model and the SPAD wish to replicate this successful model to other states as well. we shall see the management at larkin terminal (Pudu is a failure)

 

[veryhungryboy]

not bad got centralise ticketing now, just like other countries modern terminal.

 

[UrPropertyInfo]

The waiting area air conditioned now. But the shops area still look shabby

 

[kitkat2]

the new larkin is nothing to be proud of. it looks nice on the outside but it is damn confusing.

it appears that there are two ticketing systems. in addition to the centralized counters, the bus companies still maintain their individual ticket counters. these counters are hidden in the rear.

if you are buying from the centralized counters, there is a cutoff time for purchasing tickets for the next departing bus. for example, i arrived at 7.30am and asked for a ticket for 7.45am, the centralized counters refused to sell me and said the next available bus is 9am. in the past, i have boarded an earlier bus with no problem and agreed to 9am.

when i reached the bus bay, the supervisor refused to let me board although the bus was half empty. he said i should have bought from their own counter and went on lecturing me about the malaysian chinese education that he is so proud of! wtf! how did i know there still exists 2 systems?

 

[veryhungryboy]

the new larkin is nothing to be proud of. it looks nice on the outside but it is damn confusing.

it appears that there are two ticketing systems. in addition to the centralized counters, the bus companies still maintain their individual ticket counters. these counters are hidden in the rear.

if you are buying from the centralized counters, there is a cutoff time for purchasing tickets for the next departing bus. for example, i arrived at 7.30am and asked for a ticket for 7.45am, the centralized counters refused to sell me and said the next available bus is 9am. in the past, i have boarded an earlier bus with no problem and agreed to 9am.

when i reached the bus bay, the supervisor refused to let me board although the bus was half empty. he said i should have bought from their own counter and went on lecturing me about the malaysian chinese education that he is so proud of! wtf! how did i know there still exists 2 systems?

U bought a 9am ticket and went straight away to bus bay to board a 7.45am bus?

 

[kitkat2]

U bought a 9am ticket and went straight away to bus bay to board a 7.45am bus?

yes, done that before a few times.

was i not clear enough about it?

 

[veryhungryboy]

yes, done that before a few times.

was i not clear enough about it?

and how was he wrong?

u bought a 9am then take the 9am. If the supervisor allow pple like u and others who bought 9am to board 7.45am, then passenger coming at 9am will then find tickets sold out at the centralise counters while the bus look half empty. Then supervisor will confirm kena blame again.

this kinda centralise system confirm has cut-off time, u wanna try ur luck last 15minute before departure, den go directly to individual counters.

In fact I am glad JB finally has some system, otherwise install centralise system for what if individual supervisor cock up the system.

 

[kitkat2]

and how was he wrong?

u bought a 9am then take the 9am. If the supervisor allow pple like u and others who bought 9am to board 7.45am, then passenger coming at 9am will then find tickets sold out at the centralise counters while the bus look half empty. Then supervisor will confirm kena blame again.

the 7.45am bus was leaving 1/2 empty. the 9am bus was also 1/2 empty. the supervisor can easily radio his ticket office over walkie-talkie to release seat. our thinking needs to be less rigid.

this kinda centralise system confirm has cut-off time, u wanna try ur luck last 15minute before departure, den go directly to individual counters.

it is easy for you to say that now. if you knew the individual counters still exist, you could have shared your knowledge here earlier.

In fact I am glad JB finally has some system, otherwise install centralise system for what if individual supervisor cock up the system.

the centralized system is already a cock-up. the purpose of my original message is to warn people that the bus company's own ticket counters still exist. the centralized system has limitations so it is not advisable to use them. why still keep 2 systems in place after the whole renovation? 2 systems are as good as no system.

 

[kitkat2]

latest update from larkin. the bus operators' counters are now closed. you have to buy tickets from the centralized counters. so, if you want get tickets on the spot and depart immediately, it is not possible now. there are still some touts around though.

 

[MrTheROCK]

Sad. Cannot buy n board immediate. So rigid!!!!

 

[Papermate]

This certainly looks like an upgrade to bring it up to par to standards in KL and Bangkok. Will there be less touting and unregulated services? We shall see.

Actually, the one in Melaka is also not bad and quite modern.

Unfortunately, or should I say "most unfortunately", they spoilt the look with the kind of retail stores and restaurants they have. It's a terrible tenant mix selling pasar malam stuff and a few mobile phone stores here and there, if not a dried foodstuff shop.

 

[Papermate]

Under the old system, you would be told (and it's also written or printed on your bus ticket) which platform to go to wait for your bus.

Under the new system, you will get a ticket with no platform number printed on it. Nor will the ticket sales staff tell you which platform it is.

You have to "check in" at the "air-con'd" waiting room, where a uniformed staff (look like mata liddat) will write on your ticket which platform to go to.

Unfortunately, the platform number for my bus to Malacca was not one of those in front of the aircon'd room or else I could sit there and blow air con. It was in a row in the middle of the bus terminal and was "open air".

 

[Papermate]

the new larkin is nothing to be proud of. it looks nice on the outside but it is damn confusing.

it appears that there are two ticketing systems. in addition to the centralized counters, the bus companies still maintain their individual ticket counters. these counters are hidden in the rear.

if you are buying from the centralized counters, there is a cutoff time for purchasing tickets for the next departing bus. for example, i arrived at 7.30am and asked for a ticket for 7.45am, the centralized counters refused to sell me and said the next available bus is 9am. in the past, i have boarded an earlier bus with no problem and agreed to 9am.

when i reached the bus bay, the supervisor refused to let me board although the bus was half empty. he said i should have bought from their own counter and went on lecturing me about the malaysian chinese education that he is so proud of! wtf! how did i know there still exists 2 systems?

When the terminal was undergoing building works, a few rows of temporary booths were built behind. The old ones had all been torn down.

After the new ticket counters were ready, I was not sure if I should be buying a ticket there when I saw a lot of jiuhu kias buying with some kind of id (not sure what the hell was that). I thought maybe foreigners should buy elsewhere.

So, I went *behind* to do what I did before....to buy a ticket there. All booths were closed.

That was early last month when I went to Malacca.

In the end, I went to the new ticket counters and spoke Malay as best as I could, asking "Any bus departing on blah blah blah time? How much is the price?". And presented my passport for whatever reason.

 

[AS1]

Most likely their sop rojak at the moment. Give it some time and should be more coordinated. All this is to persuade people to book online or using the machine rather than buy on the spot.

 

[kitkat2]

Most likely their sop rojak at the moment. Give it some time and should be more coordinated. All this is to persuade people to book online or using the machine rather than buy on the spot.

booking online is risky as the traffic conditions at the border crossing is highly unpredictable. you can give 1-2 hours extra buffer but that defeats the original purpose of buying on the spot.

 

[Zitrone]

When the terminal was undergoing building works, a few rows of temporary booths were built behind. The old ones had all been torn down.

After the new ticket counters were ready, I was not sure if I should be buying a ticket there when I saw a lot of jiuhu kias buying with some kind of id (not sure what the hell was that). I thought maybe foreigners should buy elsewhere.

So, I went *behind* to do what I did before....to buy a ticket there. All booths were closed.

That was early last month when I went to Malacca.

In the end, I went to the new ticket counters and spoke Malay as best as I could, asking "Any bus departing on blah blah blah time? How much is the price?". And presented my passport for whatever reason.

When you arrive at Larkin and were you able to catch the bus to Melaka immediately?

Has anyone tried the ticket machine? Can we book and board immediately?

I agree with Kitkat2. If l book online I would be nervous the whole time because the traffic conditions at both customs and on-route to Larkin are unpredictable. There was an occasion I waited 20mins for bus service 170 at CIQ and another where I left Sg at 4pm and caught a bus to Melaka at 6pm.

Did I get it right? All outgoing passengers must go through the air-con gantry to find out which platform they are leaving from...

 

[kitkat2]

When you arrive at Larkin and were you able to catch the bus to Melaka immediately?

Has anyone tried the ticket machine? Can we book and board immediately?

Did I get it right? All outgoing passengers must go through the air-con gantry to find out which platform they are leaving from...

never tried the ticket machine. but if the counter can't do it, i doubt the machine can. if you are not picky on bus operators, you may be able to get a ticket for a bus that leaves in 30 minutes.

you don't have to leave from the departure hall. the last time i was there, the lcd monitors were not working. a very typical malaysian problem

if you are a regular in larkin, you would know where the buses for a certain operator are usually parked. after alighting from 170, i could even walk directly to the buses without entering the terminal building.

 

[kitkat2]

buying tickets at larkin also incur additional tax! they say it is compulsory insurance!