JOHOR BAHRU – The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is on track to be completed by the end of 2026, said Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
“There were some delays previously but MRT Corp is rectifying them, and we will do everything possible to ensure it is completed according to schedule,” he said on Tuesday, after a meeting with Johor’s chief minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
“It is progressing well and we are on track. I am being briefed (about the progress) from time to time and I have also given them strict instructions to follow the schedule. We are committed to that bilateral agreement.”
Datuk Onn Hafiz said on Facebook that the RTS Link is now at 32.78 per cent completion, without providing details.
On March 24, Singapore’s Transport Minister S. Iswaran said the construction of the RTS Link was progressing well, with 45 per cent of the work on the republic’s side completed.
Calling the new link “an important addition” to the existing road connectivity between Singapore and Malaysia, he also said works are on track to be ready by the end of 2026.
Once the 4km RTS Link is completed, passengers will be able to travel from the Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru to the Woodlands North station, and vice versa, in about five minutes. The train service can serve up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
Meanwhile, Mr Loke said that the federal government has no plans to increase the RM20 (S$6) Road Charge (RC) imposed on foreign-registered vehicles that enter Malaysia via Johor.
“Any charges we impose, it will be reciprocated by the Singapore Government; if we increase the RC, they will increase the fee for Malaysian-registered vehicles entering the country as well.
“This is what we have to consider, but there are no such plans for now,” he said, adding that the Malaysian government encourages tourists from Singapore to enter Malaysia, especially Johor.
He was responding to a question after a Johor state politician had suggested during the state assembly meeting on March 21 that the RC should be increased as the RM20 fee was “too low” after converted to Singapore’s currency. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
