The government is considering subsidising season passes for the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link for citizens. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that these passes would be limited to Malaysians.
The Edge cites the minister as saying “from our experience, for a season pass to be worthwhile, there must be support or a government subsidy. On our side, we want to see how we can provide assistance to Malaysian citizens. So when we talk about a season pass, we are only referring to Malaysians; we will not subsidise foreigners”.
He adds “of course, we need to discuss it with RTSO, the operator. Any party that wants to introduce a season pass, if commercially feasible, will be welcomed by RTOS. However, it must go through RTOS board approval.
For context, the ROTS Operations Pte Ltd (RTSO) is a joint venture between Prasarana Malaysia Bhd and SMRT Corp Ltd. The JV is reported to be scheduling the submission of the proposed RTS Link fare to both the Malaysian Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority in the third quarter for review and approval.
It connects Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru to Singapore’s Woodlands North. It makes use of four-car train sets that can complete the 4km journey between stations in six minutes, with a maximum speed of 80km/h. This, in turn, can carry up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
In a separate report, the outlet cites the minster as saying that the project has reached an advanced stage. Key structural and system components are already in place, including the installation of passenger service doors and the arrival of trains at the station.
The customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex is also nearing completion, with e-gates fully installed and body scanners and baggage screening systems still being set up. The facility is said to feature 10 security screening lanes, 18 baggage scanners and 100 e-gate lanes, including some dedicated for passengers with no luggage.
(Source: The Edge [1], [2])
