SINGAPORE, May 9 — Four Singapore-based tour bus companies have been suspended from operating in Malaysia after authorities found they had breached cross-border transport regulations.
Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) said the companies had their permits revoked after they were found offering unauthorised express bus services and selling tickets online — activities prohibited for foreign operators.
Under Malaysian rules, foreign-registered buses are allowed to bring tourists into Peninsular Malaysia only for overnight stays. However, they are not allowed to operate as express services, nor to sell individual tickets online. Operators must also submit passenger lists and detailed travel itineraries, with all trips beginning and ending in Singapore.
APAD said the affected companies — identified in a Lianhe Zaobao report as Cityline Travel, Luxury Coach, WTS Travel, and Leo City Coach — were informed of the licence cancellations on April 29 and May 2.
Cityline Travel and Luxury Coach acknowledged the suspension in separate statements.
Cityline said in a Facebook post on Wednesday: “This suspension is the result of policy matters that are presently under review by the relevant authorities.”
Luxury Coach, which operates out of Orchard Plaza, said it does not function like a typical express bus company.
“The nature of our tours, pricing structure, and added services differs significantly from Malaysian-registered express buses,” it said.
“Due to the flexibility we provide — especially with online return bookings — there has been a misunderstanding that we are competing directly with local express services targeting Malaysian commuters.”
The firm said it is in talks with authorities to resolve the matter and ensure compliance.
Cityline Travel, based in Chinatown, said it has cancelled affected trips and is processing refunds.
Luxury Coach is also offering refunds or transferring customers to a partner operator.
Both firms have temporarily halted their Malaysia-bound coach services.
WTS Travel’s website currently shows its booking system as under maintenance. The operator runs outlets in several malls across Singapore, including Suntec City, AMK Hub, and Causeway Point.
The impacted firms had been offering coach services to popular Malaysian destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Resorts World Genting.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, three Cityline Travel buses were stopped at a Malaysian checkpoint on May 4 while returning to Singapore with passengers.
So far, 23 Singapore bus operators have approval to operate in Malaysia, but only if they follow regulations that bar them from functioning as express carriers — a designation reserved for Malaysia-registered firms.