JOHOR BARU: Almost 3,000 people will travel between Malaysia and Singapore under the land Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL-Land), says the Transport Minister.
Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said there would be up to 32 bus trips to ferry 2,880 vaccinated travellers across the border both ways.
“I hope the VTL can reconnect families and also bilateral ties between Malaysia and Singapore. Hopefully this move can help in the recovery of the economy too,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.
Earlier, Dr Wee attended the launch of the VTL by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong at the Woodlands Checkpoint in Singapore.
The highly-anticipated Malaysia-Singapore VTL, implemented via land (Johor-Singapore) and air (Kuala Lumpur-Singapore), enables quarantine-free travel for fully-vaccinated individuals.
After the Woodlands Checkpoint, the Malaysian entourage led by Ismail Sabri continued their official visit with a courtesy call on President Halimah Yacob.
Dr Wee said this was followed by a discussion with Lee that lasted close to 50 minutes.
“PM Lee then hosted lunch to welcome us. Many matters were discussed, including a sea VTL via ferry and cruise as well as phases for air and land VTLs,” he added.
He said both premiers also exchanged views on the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link and discussed reviving talks on the cancelled High Speed Rail (HSR) project.The Johor Baru-Singapore RTS Link project, first announced in 2010, is expected to be completed in 2026 to provide a more convenient way to travel between Malaysia and Singapore.
In another Facebook post, Dr Wee thanked his Singaporean counterpart S. Iswaran and the Singapore Transport Ministry for the strong partnership with Malaysia which benefits both countries.
He said both VTL were significant steps in restoring connectivity between the two countries safely.
He added that the recently signed agreement for the Johor Baru-Singapore RTS Link would make travel between the two countries easier and more comfortable.
“With a capacity of 10,000 per hour, the RTS Link that will be operational in 2026 will require only five minutes to travel between the Bukit Chagar station in Johor Baru and Woodlands, Singapore,” he said.