Punctuality - 4/5
Comfort - 5/5
Cleanliness - 5/5
Value - 5/5
The Transtar bus ride from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur was just like any other ride, except for one surprise. Although the bus was late by about 20 minutes, what they did more than made up for it. The pick-up point was just outside Lavender MRT station exit B.
Seat
I got upgraded from the standard 26-seater bus to the Superstar Z, one of their flagship bus options. I was told of this change on the night before my trip.
The seats, in a 1-2 configuration, look and feel like business class seats of a budget airline. Leg room was very ample. The seats are very clean and comfortable with its leather upholstry. They look very well-maintained. Those concerned about safety may use the seatbelt. The seats and foot rests can recline and extend respectively, but not fully flat. You don't need to worry about the front passenger reclining into your space as there is a plastic shell covering each chair. There were power sockets, but they were taped off and unusable.
Entertainment
There was an entertainment system with movies, games, and music, although the movie options were a little outdated. You also needed to plug in your own headset with a 3.5mm jack. The screen was very responsive, and its picture quality is good.
Journey
A pick-up bus arrived at Lavender MRT at 9:10am and brought us to Beach Road where we transferred to the Superstar Z bus. We arrived at Tuas checkpoint at 10am, and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex at 10:20am. The crossing times at both checkpoints took around 10 minutes, though slightly longer at the Johor side as we needed to screen our bags. We then stopped at Ming Ang Rest Stop for 30 minutes at 12pm for lunch. We arrived at Berjaya Times Square, the final stop, at 3:20pm.
The journey was extremely comfortable. Since the bus was a double-decker, I was able to enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the Malaysian countryside from a higher vantage point. There was minimal shaking throughout the ride. There were no toilets on-board though. We made one long stop of around 30 minutes and one short pit break. The journey took around six hours, which is slightly longer than typical for this route in day-time.
Conclusion
I paid S$30 for the bus ticket, and I got a free upgrade to the Superstar Z (which I think costs over S$80). The bus ride was comfortable, the seats were clean, and the travel duration was decent. I would ride with Transtar again in the future.
