Zahid chairs road safety panel, maps congestion fixes before Johor Bahru RTS January debut

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 17 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has formed a road safety panel to address traffic congestion in Johor Bahru city centre and prevent potential new bottlenecks before the launch of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link on January 1 next year. The panel will coordinate efforts among agencies and integrate public transport systems as travel patterns are anticipated to change, especially around the city centre and areas near the system.

During a Cabinet Committee on Road Safety and Congestion (JK-MKKJR) meeting, Zahid emphasized that this strategy aligns with the goal of establishing a more integrated, efficient, secure, and people-oriented public transport system, particularly to facilitate seamless cross-border mobility. The RTS Link will operate between Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru and Woodlands North in Singapore, with the capacity to transport up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.

On July 2, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that the Federal Government would fund the Elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit project in Johor as part of their strategy to tackle congestion stemming from the RTS Link's inauguration. The Transport Ministry, in partnership with the Johor state government, is currently developing a traffic dispersal plan to strengthen the existing public transport system.

This plan includes expanding the BAS.MY service network to 28 routes with 254 buses, including electric buses. Under the Stage Bus Transformation Programme (SBST) 2.0, 157 buses will be allocated to routes serving Johor Bahru Sentral and Bukit Chagar, with the project set to commence in early 2027.