THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Laos-China Railway plans online ticket sales to bust bottleneck

Laos-China Railway plans online ticket sales to bust bottleneck

The Laos-China Railway Co, Ltd says it will start selling train tickets online at the end of this year, following numerous complaints about the existing system.

Currently, people wanting to travel from Vientiane face long queues to buy tickets at the station. The station is outside the city centre and there are no toilets in the waiting area.

The difficulty involved in buying tickets has seen numerous people take advantage by setting themselves up as agents, enabling people to buy tickets easily but at an inflated price.

The situation has sparked criticism social media and fears the publicity surrounding the ticketing system could damage Laos tourism.

In response, the Laos-China Railway Co Ltd has admitted the problems and said it will make ticket sales more efficient.

An online ticket sales system using a mobile app will be ready soon, the company’s deputy director Daochinda Sihalath told reporters on Wednesday.

“At present, we have developed the necessary software and the next step will be to complete the improvement and purchase of equipment for installation. We hope the system will be ready for use by the end of this year,” Daochinda said.

Meanwhile, the company promised to provide public toilets at Vientiane station on the second floor.

“At the same time, we will provide more ticket sales outlets so that tickets can be bought more easily and quickly,” he added.

The rail operator is also considering opening stations for longer. At present people are not allowed to enter stations until the train departure time, meaning passengers are forced to queue up outside the station for long periods.

High travel demand and an increase in tourist numbers had triggered scenes of public disorder at Vientiane station, said Railway Police Department director-general Colonel Kaisone Keomany.

Meanwhile, unauthorised ticket agents are selling tickets at inflated prices, mainly to tourist groups. Tour company are using up their allocated quotas but then buying more tickets to sell at a profit, according to officials.

The railway police said they will regulate queues for tickets at the station and weed out ticket touts.

Vientiane Times

Asia News Network

Asia News Network: The Nation (Thailand), The Korea Herald, The Straits Times (Singapore), China Daily, The Jakarta Post, The Star and Sin Chew Daily (Malaysia), The Statesman (India), Philippine Daily Inquirer, Yomiuri Shimbun and The Japan News, Gogo Mongolia,  Dawn (Pakistan),  The Island (Sri Lanka), Kuensel (Bhutan), Kathmandu Post (Nepal), Daily Star (Bangladesh), Eleven Media (Myanmar), The Phnom Penh Post and Rasmei Kampuchea (Cambodia), The Borneo Bulletin (Brunei), Vietnam News, and Vientiane Times (Laos).
 

Laos-China Railway plans online ticket sales to bust bottleneck

 

 

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