Find solutions to ease congestion at the Causeway, Govt urged

Find solutions to ease congestion at the Causeway, Govt urged



Traffic along the Johor Causeway is congested daily, especially after office hours. — Filepic

The Government is urged to come up with practical solutions to reduce congestion at the Johor Causeway instead of wasting taxpayers’ money on conducting a feasibility study on building a third bridge linking Johor Baru and Singapore.

Johor South SME adviser Teh Kee Sin said short, medium and long-term measures were needed to improve traffic flow at the land link connecting both countries.

“The people have had enough of rhetoric and political promises. They want to see results and solutions, ’’ he said.

He also said the Tebrau Shuttle service between JB Sentral here and Woodlands in Singapore should be improved as a short-term measure, by increasing the frequency of services.

He said the increase in train service from 31 times a day would help to ease traffic congestion at the Johor Causeway, especially during peak hours as well as on weekends and public holidays.

Teh said plans to construct the covered pedestrian walkway as promised during the last election should be implemented with no more delays as the cost was affordable.

“Time required to undertake the project is not too long and this also may encourage more people to use public transport, ’’ he said.

He added that the long-term solution to ease the congestion was the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link (RTS).

On the other hand, Johor Indian Business Association president P. Sivakumar welcomed the proposed third bridge project to ease congestion at the Johor Causeway.

“However, the Government should speed up the implementation of the RTS project, ” he said.

Sivakumar agreed with Teh that work on the approved covered pedestrian pathway should start soon.

He said if the third bridge project was implemented, there must not be any damage to the environment.

Johor Consumers Movement Association chairman Md Salleh Sadijo said improving the existing infrastructure at the Johor Causeway and the Second Link Crossing in Tanjung Kupang, Gelang Patah was more cost-effective in the long run.

“Since Singapore is still sceptical about the third bridge as internal security is their main concern, why waste taxpayers’ money on carrying out a study, ” he questioned.

He suggested that the Government opened more toll booths and offered concessions to encourage more motorists to use the Second Link and reduce congestion at the Causeway.

It was reported that Malaysia would spend RM5mil to conduct a nine-month study on the possibility of building a third bridge to Singapore to alleviate congestion at the Johor Causeway.

Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said the bridge would be built only after a feasibility study was conducted next year.

~The Star~