JOHOR TRANSPORT LEAPS FORWARD
JOHOR BARU: Malaysians are looking forward to the mega transportation projects that will forever change the public transport system in Johor.
Among them is technician R. Vickneswaran, 33, who commutes daily to Singapore for work, said he was looking forward to the Rapid Transit System (RTS) between Bukit Chagar here and Woodlands North.
“I usually go across the Causeway by bus as it is cheaper but with a lot of other vehicles plying the route it can get very jammed.
“Having the RTS is the best way to address the congestion along the Causeway and commuters are able to cut travel time down by a lot,” he said.
Businessman Zulhelmi Zakaria, 35, said with the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) Johor Baru would become like other major cities that have a similar public transport system.
“Traffic congestion within Johor Baru is getting from bad to worse but I have confidence the BRT will be a success. People here need a more reliable system and the state government is addressing it in a positive way,” he added.
Meanwhile, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said a better public transportation system that was up-todate was necessary to elevate Johor’s position in the eyes of the world.
“Having an improved transportation system will definitely go in tandem with the rapid development taking place in Johor, especially within Iskandar Malaysia,” he said.
Among the projects are the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR), Gemas-Johor Baru electrified double-tracking project and Johor Baru- Singapore Rapit Transit
System (RTS).
He pointed out that the country’s HSR project, which will connect Bandar Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to Jurong East in Singapore would be an impressive addition to the transportation network.
“Johor will have the most number of HSR stations, namely in Iskandar Puteri, Batu Pahat and Muar,” he said, adding that with the estimated cost at RM175bil, the HSR
service is expected to be ready by the end of 2026.
On the Gemas-Johor Baru stretch of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad’s Double-Tracked Electric Train Service (ETS), he said it would start after Sungai Gemas in Negri Sembilan, passing through 11 stations in Johor.
These are Segamat, Genuang, Labis, Bekok, Paloh, Kluang, Mengkibol, Rengam, Layang-
Layang, Kulai and Kempas Baru, before terminating in the Johor Baru Sentral station right in the heart of city centre here.
“The Government has allocated RM10.45bil, which covers the 197km tracks between here and Gemas,” he said.
Mohamed Khaled also stressed that the state government wanted to ease traffic flow at both the Causeway and Secondlink as every day, thousands of people travel between Malaysia and Singapore using those channels.
He said the main objective of the RTS Link project was to provide seamless connectivity between Johor Baru and the island republic.
“The RTS Link will be a game changer for us where it has the capacity to carry 10,000 commuters per hour or 72,000 people daily,” he added.
The new 4.2km Johor BaruSingapore RTS Link, which is expected to be completed by 2024, will see improved connectivity and accessibility between both sides.
Mohamed Khaled said the BRT, with a RM2.56bil allocation, would help address improving traffic flow within Iskandar Malaysia.
He said the BRT was a high-quality bus transit system, which would provide reliable, comfortable and cost-effective service.
Mohamed Khaled added that the BRT, which is expected to be ready by 2021, would connect at least 90% of areas in Iskandar Malaysia spanning over 51km.
“The system is expected to be the backbone of public transportation infrastructure in Iskandar for the next two decades.
“Improvement in connectivity as well as accessibility would attract more visitors, businessmen and investors to Johor,” he added.
People here need a more reliable system and the state government is addressing it in a positive way. Zulhelmi Zakaria