GE14 | Several bus and train ticketing websites are either inaccessible or experiencing unusual traffic after the May 9 polling date was announced earlier today.

A Malaysiakini reader who attempted to buy a KTM ETS return ticket said he had to spend 40 minutes on the KTM website before he could choose his seat.

"It was slow but there still seems to be plenty of seats available," said the reader who is eager to vote for the third time.

He said he had attempted to buy nine tickets for him and his friends, but KTM's website only allowed a maximum purchase of six at a time.

As of 4pm today, popular Singapore-based bus and train ticketing website Easybook.com is no longer accessible.

Predict GE14 result with Mkini's free simulator

A company spokesperson told Malaysiakini the website was experiencing heavy traffic. 

"Our website is slightly affected due to the unusually high amount of bookings," said the spokesperson.

Meanwhile, another reader told Malaysiakini that the price of a flight ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Terengganu went up by about RM100 within 20 minutes of the confirmation of the polling date.

"I checked the websites of several airlines. Prices are up across the board," said the reader.

A cursory look at flight prices for popular routes around the election date does seem to suggest that returning from out of state to vote may be a costly affair for many.

At the time of writing, a one-way ticket for the Singapore-Penang route for one airline cost around RM470 on May 9. A similar ticket for the subsequent Wednesday is only RM145.

Over at KL Sentral, a Malaysiakini reader said there was a long line for ETS tickets. 

"I took a number, but I'm 300 spots behind the person currently being served," said the reader.