OPERATORS of buses plying between Singapore and destinations in Malaysia are bracing themselves for a drop in business, even as consumers cheer the dramatic jump in the number of budget flights to Kuala Lumpur from today.

Business in the coach industry started wilting in February, when budget airlines began running a limited number of flights between Singapore and KL.

With Jetstar Asia, AirAsia and Tiger Airways running 14 daily flights to KL among them from today, bus operators expect things to get worse. But they are slightly buoyed by the fact that buses remain an important and affordable mode of transport, with many more Malaysian destinations than airlines can hope to have.

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