The congestion needs to be eased while waiting for the Singapore-Johor Bahru Rapid Transit System (RTS) link project to be completed by 2026, said Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
He said this on Facebook after visiting the RTS Woodlands North Terminus project site today.
Onn Hafiz, who was accompanied by Singapore transport minister S Iswaran, said the establishment of the task force was a short-term solution to ease the congestion.
According to media reports, more than 300,000 Malaysians cross the Johor Causeway every day, making it the busiest border crossing route in the region.
Onn Hafiz has been on a three-day official visit to Singapore since Sunday. This is his first official trip to the republic after being appointed menteri besar in March.
He said he was confident the modern transportation system, expected to be ready in four years, will be able to overcome the congestion problem at the Johor Causeway.
“I am also confident that when the RTS project is ready, it will bring economic benefits to the people and Johor, especially Johor Bahru,” he said.
The RTS Link is a 4km rail shuttle service between the Singapore terminus at Woodlands North station and the Malaysian terminus at Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru.
It will carry up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
Passengers will enjoy a fast and seamless experience travelling between Singapore and Johor Bahru on the RTS Link. The journey will take about five minutes between the two stations.
Both countries had recently appointed a consortium, comprising Systra SA, Minconsult Sdn Bhd and Bureau Veritas Singapore Pte Ltd, as the independent verification and validation (IV&V) agent for the project.
The IV&V agent will ensure that the project is carried out in compliance with the stipulated safety requirements and regulations.
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