New Johor terminal for Singapore-Malaysia express buses

New Johor terminal for Singapore-Malaysia express buses ready by year end

The new terminal, GP Sentral, situated along Jalan Gelang Patah-Kampong Ulu Choh, on the outskirts of Gelang Patah in Johor, is slated to open by the end of the year. (Photo: Alfred Chua)

The possibility of a centralised bus terminal here for Singapore-Malaysia express bus services is looking slim, even though some progress has been made across the Causeway.

Express Bus Agencies Association (EBAA), which represents 30 companies, told TODAY that a new centralised bus terminal, which it has invested in, is near completion at Gelang Patah in Johor.

The new terminal, GP Sentral, situated along Jalan Gelang Patah-Kampong Ulu Choh, on the outskirts of Gelang Patah, is slated to open by the end of the year. There is no traction yet for such a terminal in Singapore.

Replying to a question by Nominated Member of Parliament Teo Siong Seng in Parliament last week, Parliamentary Secretary (Transport) Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said that projected demand for inter-city bus services "did not merit the provision of a centralised inter-city bus terminal".

Associate Professor Faishal said there was "little indication of growth in inter-city travel". "In fact, the number of inter-city bus licences this year has declined by 9 per cent," he noted.

"The existing approach where bus operators ride on existing infrastructure at various premises for their passenger boarding and alighting operations remains adequate to support the projected growth in demand."

He added that the Land Transport Authority will "continue to monitor the demand for inter-city bus services and, if necessary, review the need for a centralised bus terminal".

To the EBAA's Terminal Services Sub-Committee Chairman Sebastian Yap, it was disappointing that the authorities have not yet given the green light for such a project. His association had "waited quite a while for an official reply" on the issue, he said.

In 2004, the Urban Redevelopment Authority rejected a proposal to convert Turf City into a bus terminal. The Government then offered a plot of land near Turf Club in Kranji, but both sides were unable to agree on key points, like the terminal location.

In 2007, the association identified a site at Seah Im Road, off Telok Blangah Road, while shortlisting other possible locations at Victoria Street, Outram Park and Jurong East. The plans, however, failed to get off the ground. This led the EBAA to decide, in 2010, to invest in a new bus terminal in Johor.

The main terminal, which will have 15 bus bays, and a neighbouring petrol kiosk have been built. Nearby facilities will include eateries and retail shops, while the terminal will have a food court, money changers and a centralised ticketing counter, said the EBAA.

Mr Yap, who is also Executive Director at Transtar Travel, declined to comment on the costs involved.

The EBAA had envisioned the terminal to "be the first and the last stop for Singapore-Malaysia bus services".

In addition, the terminal will "cater to the Johor-Singapore market", taking passengers from the Malaysian state to various points in Singapore, a route now served by buses plying the Causeway, not the Second Link.

Mr Yap said this can help promote people taking day-trips into Singapore.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Bridging Bangkok and Nay Pyi Taw

Bridging Bangkok and Nay Pyi Taw



It will soon be possible to travel directly from Bangkok and Nay Pyi Taw with AirAsia introducing a daily flight between the two capitals from October 28.

The new scheduled flight was confirmed by Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia, during the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2013 in Myanmar. The new service, which the airline claims will make ASEAN more accessible, is in answer to the high demand for Myanmar travel. The flight schedule will be released at a later date. Visit www.airasia.com.

~News courtesy of The Nation~

Visit Malaysia 2014

Air quality for Thursday expected to be good

Air quality for Thursday expected to be good

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said the 24-hour PSI for the next 24 hours is expected to be in the “good” range.

The 24-hr PM2.5 is expected to be slightly elevated.

NEA said all persons can continue with normal activities.

At 4pm on Wednesday, the 24-hour PSI reading was 27-35 and the 24-hour PM2.5 was 19-24. Both readings were in the “good” range. 

For the next few days, low-level winds are expected to be southwesterly or southerly.

Thundery showers are forecast for Thursday morning.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

虎航推出更多便利服务

虎航推出更多便利服务



虎航为商标改头换面，其中一架飞机已换装，改用以字体设计的“tigerair”名称。（摄影／陈福洲）

虎航为商标改头换面，该航空不再以跳跃的老虎为标志，改用简单的字体设计，多了几分现代感。它以灰色和橙色书写新英文名称“Tigerair”，取代之前的名称“Tiger Airways”。此外，虎航也计划推出更多便利服务，力求以新姿态提高服务水平。

接下来，公司计划让乘客通过手机和网络办理登机手续，为无需托运行李的乘客节省排队的时间。此外，乘客也能通过虎航的应用程序，查询航班详情、订票和挑选座位等。公司也将探讨和更多伙伴航空公司合作，让虎航的乘客在不必提取行李的情况下，直接乘搭其他伙伴的连接航班。

～以上新闻转载自OMY～

Goodbye leaping tiger, hello Tigerair

Goodbye leaping tiger, hello Tigerair

Singapore firms have been using their corporate logos as a tool to help reflect a new corporate image or a change in business direction.

The latest to jump on the bandwagon is Tiger Airways. Its leaping tiger, an icon of the budget carrier, will be history as the company rebrands itself and changes its name to Tigerair.

Along with the name change unveiled yesterday, the company will sport what it calls a "fresh and upbeat look" that "embodies its brand personality of (being) warm, passionate and genuine". The new logo has grey rounded-font typography, with orange accents.

Tigerair chief executive Koay Peng Yen said the new identity is timely, given the changes and new initiatives under way at the airline in the past six months.

These include providing travellers transiting in Singapore with a seamless transfer to other destinations in Tigerair's network, Mr Koay added.

Some brands here have also changed their logos in recent years. Super Group, famous for its instant-mix coffee, did a rebranding in January to embody the company's "positive outlook and attitude", said a spokesman.

Eng Wah Cinemas changed its name to WE Cinemas - with a logo change, too - as part of the Eng Wah Organisation's overall group rebranding in 2010 to Eng Wah Global. This was to consolidate its resources and reach out to a wider audience.

Marketing experts told My Paper that when a firm rebrands, it is sometimes a sign that its current strategy is not working.

It might also be that the firm wants to signal a change in its direction and how it wants to be perceived by customers.

Dr Seshan Ramaswami, an associate professor of marketing education at Singapore Management University, said the old Tigerair logo of an aggressive leaping tiger was "a little brash" and "in-your-face".

"(The new logo) signals a change from an aggressive emphasis on price alone to slowly developing other competitive advantages," Dr Ramaswami said.

He said that in Tigerair's "repositioning", the airline is considering other factors, such as its partnership with Virgin and the offer of better customer service. Tigerair recently sold a 60 per cent stake in its Australian subsidiary to Virgin Australia.

Mr Samir Dixit, managing director for the Asia-Pacific at Brand Finance, said that when an airline goes through a rebranding of this scale, the costs can run up to several millions.

On Tigerair's new logo, he said: "This looks to be an attempt to erase the past and start afresh."

Associate Professor Sharon Ng, from Nanyang Business School's division of marketing and international business, said companies also rebrand to appeal to the tastes of today's consumers, who are after a more "minimalistic" look and feel.

Beyond the cosmetic changes in Tigerair's new logo, Mr Dixit said it is "wait-and-watch" now to see what "fundamental shifts" the company has made to shape customers' experiences.

~News courtesy of Omy~