SINGAPORE: Malaysian buses ferrying factory workers into
Singapore staged a strike early Friday morning (Aug 1) at the Johor
checkpoint to protest new toll charges imposed by the Malaysian
government.
The Malaysian authorities confirmed to Channel NewsAsia reporter
Sumisha Naidu later in the morning that the strike had ended.
Chinese daily Sinchew in Malaysia reported that the traffic
situation had returned to normal by 8am, after the local
authorities promised to look into the revised toll charges.
MediaCorp's hotline received at least five calls about the
incident. One of the callers, Mr Tan, said he saw many
Malaysia-registered buses ferrying factory workers stopping their
vehicles at the Johor checkpoint and refusing to continue their
journey into Singapore.
Mr Tan said the strike by the bus drivers caused heavy traffic
congestion at the Johor checkpoint. He said factory workers had to
disembark at the Malaysian CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine
Complex) and walk a long distance into Singapore to board buses to
their workplace.
Another caller said the congestion at the Malaysian CIQ had also
affected school children travelling into Singapore. He said most of
them will be late for schools this morning.
Those streaming into the Singapore side on foot appeared calm
and orderly, according to Channel NewsAsia reporter Leong Wai Kit.
The Singapore authorities confirmed there were no public order
incidents here stemming from the strikes.
TOLL HIKES
The bus drivers are apparently striking over an increase of more
than 400 per cent in toll charges at the Johor Bahru Customs which
came into effect on Friday.
Announced by the Malaysian Highway Authority last week, the new
toll charges for vehicles heading into Singapore are RM6.80
(S$2.65), RM10.20, RM13.60, RM3.40 and RM5.50 for Class 1 to Class
5 vehicles, respectively. Only motorcyclists are exempted from
paying toll.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) sent an advisory at 8.05am
saying that bus services 160, 170, 170X and 950 have halted
services to Johor Bahru until further notice. The suspension was
due to a “protest against increase in Malaysian toll fees by
Malaysian bus operators which impeded flow of bus traffic through
the Johor Bahru Checkpoint,” the advisory said.
CNA
