Johor Bahru traffic dispersal plan being drawn up ahead of RTS Link operations, says Zahid

PUTRAJAYA (Aug 18): Plans are being drawn up to ease traffic congestion in the Johor Bahru city centre and prevent new bottlenecks from emerging ahead of the launch of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the plans involve coordination among agencies and integration of public transport systems, as travel patterns are expected to change, particularly around the city centre and areas directly connected to the system.

“This approach is in line with the aspiration for a more integrated, efficient, safe and people-friendly public transport system, particularly in supporting smoother cross-border mobility,” he said in a statement after chairing the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety and Congestion meeting here on Monday.

The RTS Link is scheduled to begin operations on Jan 1 next year and is expected to carry up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.

The system will connect Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru with Woodlands North in Singapore.

On July 2, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook told the Dewan Rakyat that the federal government would provide funding for the development of the Elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (E-ART) project in Johor as part of efforts to address the congestion expected following the RTS Link’s launch.

Loke also said the Transport Ministry, in collaboration with the Johor government, was drawing up a traffic dispersal plan to strengthen the existing public transport system, including expanding the BAS.MY service network to 28 routes involving 254 buses, including electric buses.

He said under the Stage Bus Transformation Programme 2.0, 157 buses would be allocated to routes serving Johor Bahru Sentral and Bukit Chagar, with the service expected to begin in early 2027.

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