[Cross Border Bus
Services] Tuas may have new bus services going to Johor
Bahru
Tuas Link MRT Station is located near to the Singapore-Malaysia
Second Link, but because there is no bus stop for cross border bus
services, commuters are unable to use the Tuas Checkpoint to enter
Malaysia.
LTA say that it has received proposals from a few bus operators
to operate new cross-border bus services at Tuas. It is currently
evaluating the proposals.
The design of Tuas Checkpoint only allows cars and buses to
enter. Due to safety consideration, the Immigration and Checkpoints
Authority forbids people from walking into the checkpoint.
Although the checkpoint is not far from the recently opened Tuas
Link MRT Station, there is a notice at the MRT Station, reminding
people that they cannot walk from the MRT Station to the Tuas
Checkpoint to enter Johor Bahru.
Currently, commuters can only take cross-border buses at Jurong
East or Boon Lay MRT Stations, to use the Tuas Checkpoint. Some
commuters hope that Tuas area could have bus stop for cross-border
buses.
When asked by the reporter, LTA say that currently, there are
three cross-border bus routes using the Second Link to enter Johor
Bahru, and they are all operated by Malaysia's Handal Indah Sdn
Bhd.
As to whether Handal Indah Sdn Bhd will open cross-border bus
routes between Tuas and Johor Bahru, the company say that it is
currently waiting for the official permits from the relevant
authorities, and it is not able to provide any response at the
moment.
Two local cross-border bus operators SMRT and SBS Transit do not
wish to provide any response.
Meanwhile, a local private bus operator Transtar Travel say that
it has intentions to operate a cross-border bus route from Buona
Vista MRT Station to Gelang Patah Bus Terminal via Tuas and Second
Link, but the details could not be revealed.
A industry player noted that Tuas Industrial Estate has many
Malaysia workers coming from Johor Bahru to work in Singapore, thus
it is believed that there is strong demand in that area for
cross-border bus service. With cross-border bus service in Tuas,
this would solve the problem of commuters feeling tired from all
the traveling.
(Translated from Channel 8 News website)