M’sian Govt To Invest $28million To Ease Congestion At Checkpoints; 50 Counters To Be Added

Congestion, delays and everything in between are what Singaporeans travelling to Malaysia face.

“Hey let’s drive into Malaysia during the school holidays,” says no one sensible ever. And for good reason.

You’ll probably get held up at the causeway for a good few hours and have to hold in your sh** Nasi Lemak you had for breakfast until you get to the nearest toilet.

Thankfully, the Malaysian government hears all our woes. I mean, where else are we gonna get yummy bak kut teh or cheap diapers?

Malaysian Government To Spend RM85 million (~S$28 million) From Next Year

According to The Straits Times, they will spend RM85 million (~S$28 million) from 2020 to ease congestion at the two customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) checkpoints linking Johor Bahru and Singapore.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng had announced this on Friday, 11 October.

How will they achieve it, you ask?

Are they going to make the tolls to get into Johor more expensive? Or finally implement the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) perhaps?

Nope and nope.

The Malaysian Government will be adding 50 more motorcycle counters at the Causeway and at the Johor side of the Tuas checkpoints.

The current number of motorcycle counters at the checkpoints remains unknown. However, more than 300,000 Malaysians travel between Johor and Singapore every day.

JB to Singapore Rapid Transit System To Continue

Good news for those who like to take the train into Johor. The government plans to continue with the JB to Singapore Rapid Transit System.

Previously, the Singapore and Malaysia governments signed an agreement in 2018 to build the 4km cross-border MRT link from Woodlands in Singapore to Bukit Chagar in Johor to ease the congestion on the Causeway.

Lest you’re unaware, it involves an RM4 billion (S$1.3 billion) project that commuters can hop on every 8 minutes. During peak hours, the train will arrive every 4 minutes.

Singapore has confirmed that its RTS terminus will be located at Woodlands North Station, along the Thomson-East Coast MRT line, while Malaysia has chosen Bukit Chagar Station as its main terminal for the RTS.