JOHOR BARU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Two business groups in Malaysia's state of Johor have called for a third link to Singapore.

Johor Indian Business Association president P. Sivakumar said a third bridge was "no longer an option" due to traffic congestion along the Johor Causeway and Second Link.

"Talk about a third bridge has been there for some time and I feel both governments should sit down and seriously discuss it. The present two links are no longer able to cope," he said.

Mr Sivakumar said increased tourist arrivals on tour buses via the Second Link was causing massive jams.

"Previously many did not like using the Second Link because it was far off and the toll was expensive. These days, people are stuck in jams there for several hours. Things get worse during school holidays, festive periods and long weekends," he added.

In the meantime, he proposed that a pedestrian walkway be built at the old checkpoint near the Causeway because it only took 15 to 20 minutes to reach Singapore on foot.

Johor Baru Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry deputy president Low Kueck Shin proposed that the third bridge be built at the Kong Kong area in Pasir Gudang, going into Sembawang in Singapore.

It makes more economic sense for the link to be built in this area because it will spur trade between Malaysia and Singapore, he said.

Mr Low said the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project should be extended to Johor as soon as possible to help reduce the jams.

"The association has received lots of complaints about time being wasted in traffic jams," he said.

Mr Low said the government should set the frequency of the KTM Tebrau Shuttle train service from Johor Baru to Singapore at every 10 minutes to encourage more to use the trains.

On a proposal that lorries be restricted to only the Second Link, he said more lorries would use the link if toll charges there were lowered.