Ahead of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link operations, plans are being developed to reduce traffic in Johor Bahru city centre and stop new bottlenecks from forming.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the plans called for agency cooperation and the integration of public transportation systems because it was anticipated that travel patterns would alter, especially in the city centre and districts that were 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.
He continued by saying that as travel patterns were anticipated to shift, especially in the city centre and places directly connected to the system, the plans included agency coordination and integration of public transportation systems.
As RTS is set to commence on 1st January 2027 connecting Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North in Singapore, easing the congestion on Johor Bahru’s side is essential as the train can transport 10,000 passengers per hour each way.
In an attempt to alleviate the traffic anticipated after the RTS Link’s opening, Transport Minister Anthony Loke informed the Dewan Rakyat on 2nd July 2026, that the Federal Government would finance the construction of the Elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (E-ART) project in Johor.
Loke added that a traffic dispersal strategy was being developed by the Transport Ministry (MoT) and the Johor state government to improve the current public transportation system, which included extending the BAS.MY’s 254 busses, including electric busses, travel 28 routes within my service network.
He stated that 157 busses would be assigned to routes serving Johor Bahru Sentral and Bukit Chagar under the Stage Bus Transformation Program (SBST) 2.0. The service is anticipated to start in early 2027.
Meanwhile, as per the goal set by Malaysian officials, passengers on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link might board their train in just 25 minutes after arriving at Bukit Chagar station.
The Johor Bahru station, which is advertised as one of Malaysia’s most advanced, will have air-conditioned, roomy concourses, sophisticated security and immigration systems, and amenities like huge restrooms and a nursery for passengers with small children.
