Singaporean traveller stranded at Malaysia rest stop at 4.15am after coach to KL drove off without him

Singaporean traveller stranded at Malaysia rest stop at 4.15am after coach to KL drove off without him Even before the incident, the trip had already been marred by a last-minute schedule change and delay. Imagine stepping off your overnight coach for a quick toilet break. A couple of minutes later, you walk back, only to see your coach drive off into the darkness without you. And now, at 4.15am, you're stranded at a rest stop in Malaysia. That was exactly what Singaporean traveller Ernz, 35, claimed happened during a recent overnight journey to Kuala Lumpur via a Billion Stars Express coach. Speaking to 8days.sg, Ernz said what started as an ordinary ride slowly snowballed into one of the most stressful travel experiences he has ever had. The coach had stopped midway through the journey and Ernz, assuming it was a routine rest stop, got off to use the toilet. But when he returned, the coach was gone. “I saw the coach bus just zoom away in the far distance and left without me,” he wrote on Instagram. Speaking to 8days.sg, Ernz said his friend, who was still on board the coach, later told him he had informed the staff that he had been left behind. “But they didn't bother and just continued on their journey,” he added. His friend also believed it may not have been a scheduled rest stop at all but rather, a passenger drop-off point. As the coach disappeared into the distance, panic set in. Ernz told 8days.sg he tried to flag down the first passing car but quickly realised that probably wasn't the safest thing to do. “The car's high beams flashed briefly and I realised I'd better stop doing that,” he said. Luckily, he noticed a car idling nearby. After asking the driver whether he was a Grab driver, Ernz immediately made a booking through the app. Fortunately, the booking matched him with the same driver. “That's when I finally felt like I wasn't stranded anymore,” he said. While he had no idea exactly where the coach had stopped, Ernz told 8days.sg the Grab pick-up location showed up as "Pusat Servis SONY". “The only people around were a handful of diners at a nearby eatery and the Grab driver. There was also no visible security personnel or coach company staff,” he said. “Thank goodness I had my phone, a portable charger and my passport. With my phone, at least I could seek help,” Ernz added. Fortunately, his friend on the coach helped retrieve the belongings he had left on board. Ernz also shared that his experience with the coach had already gotten off to a rocky start in Singapore. He had initially booked the 11pm coach departing from Tai Seng MRT to Bukit Bintang on Jun 19. However, he said the company contacted and informed him that his departure time had been brought forward to 10pm within minutes, without explaining the reason for the change in timing. But when he rushed to the pickup point by taxi, he found out that there was no coach. Instead, he was left waiting from 10pm to 11.15pm when the bus finally arrived. Looking back, Ernz believed things could easily have taken a darker turn when he was left stranded, and told 8Days that he had only taken his phone and passport with him out of habit. “If you're only meant to go for a quick toilet break, you might leave everything on the coach,” he said. What frustrated Ernz most was what happened afterwards. Or rather, what didn't happen. Ernz repeatedly tried contacting Billion Stars Express after the incident but to date, there has only been radio silence, even as his Instagram video gained traction online. Ironically, Ernz had also paid an additional S$1.20 for the company's travel insurance. “I didn't bother claiming since the issue was caused by them, and they didn't try to make it right at all,” he said when asked if he plans to file any claims. The experience has also changed the way Ernz approaches overnight coach travel. “It makes me want to do some research on the coach company beforehand." 8days.sg has contacted Billion Stars Express for comment but did not receive a reply at press time. This story was originally published in 8Days. For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/