With Singapore SEZ, clock ticking for Johor Baru to develop mass transit system

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 — Malaysia is under pressure to expand Johor Baru’s public transport infrastructure as a growing number of commuters are expected to flock to the city following the launch of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

The new economic zone, which was officially launched last week, aims to create 100 projects over the next decade and is touted to become a rival to Klang Valley as the driver of Malaysia’s growth engine.

Despite this goal, however, Malaysia still has not made progress in planning for improved mass transit systems to help the state capital cope with congestion, which is already chronic now.

The city has long struggled with transport bottlenecks, particularly with the heavy traffic from the Causeway, one of the world’s busiest land crossings. Currently, at least 300,000 people make the daily journey across the border, with commutes sometimes lasting as long as three hours.

“It is not fast enough,” Goh Bok Yen, an urban and transport planning specialist, told the South China Morning Post.

“The transport system from their landing [in Johor Bahru] to their ultimate destination [further inland] is something we have not addressed.”

This issue is compounded by limited public transportation options, making it difficult for commuters to move efficiently within the city and beyond.

Public transport will be a critical factor for Johor, which could be a major nexus for two major rail lines across the peninsula: the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) that will come online next year as well as the KL-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) that could be revived.

Last year, Malaysia Rail Industry Corporation (MARIC) president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman said a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system would be the best long-term solution for JB’s transport issues.