The Johor state government says it is set to submit a proposal for the construction of a light rail transit (LRT) system in Johor Bahru to the federal government in the near future, Berita Harian reports.
According to the chairman of the Johor public works, transport and infrastructure committee, Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh, the Johor government is worried about congestion in Johor Bahru, which is becoming critical. He said traffic, especially in the city centre, would be amplified further when the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) project starts operating in 2027 as scheduled, prompting the plan for a LRT system.
“The LRT is a suitable transport method as a traffic dispersal measure in addition to coordinating the transport system in JB city centre when the RTS and the Gemas-Johor Bahru electric train system (ETS) twin track project begins operating in 2027 and 2025 respectively,” he said.
“According to the preliminary study done, Johor Bahru needs three LRT lines, namely the Skudai, Tebrau and Iskandar Puteri lines, involving a route of about 30 km. In fact, the study has already been completed and I will examine the best and most suitable proposals produced by state agencies before we hand the proosal over to the federal government for evaluation,” he said.
He added that a thorough study was still needed because the state government needed to ensure that these ideas are able to meet the needs of traffic in Johor Baru, as The Star reports. “We have to remember that the traffic in Johor Baru is different from Kuala Lumpur and Penang as we are located right next to Singapore. So the next meeting will decide what is the best option that we have before we can send the proposal in,” he said.
Mohamad Fazli, who is also a member of the Bukit Pasir State legislative assembly, also said that the proposed LRT implementation in Johor Bahru has been mentioned several times by the Johor government and transport minister Anthony Loke.
He said the establishment of the Johor-Singapore special economic zone (SEZ) and the Forest City special financial zone (SFZ) also required a more integrated transport system to make the transport network of the respective zones more effective.
“The JB LRT is one of the most effective systems to overcome critical congestion in this city with the state government receiving many opinions and suggestions from transport experts to establish the service system, not to mention that it is suitable to be developed in urban areas,” he said.
Johor isn’t the only state pushing for an LRT to be built, because the Penang state government also has plans for a LRT project. The proposed 26.8 km-long line, aimed at linking Penang island to the mainland, will connect Komtar and Bayan Lepas with 23 stations.
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