Outlook in Iskandar? RTS helps a lot.

Everyone says Singapore is well connected. I am sure they are right because every time I am in Singapore, I have to take the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). I usually only visit those places which the MRT could reach or walkable from the MRT stations. Over there, UBER, GRAB or even Comfort taxis are still pretty expensive to me when compared to the MRT. So, what about just beside Singapore, in Johor Bahru then? Is it well connected? Let’s not talk about MRT for a minute. Yes, I would definitely say it’s super well connected. This is because it is very jammed in the morning during office hours. Everyone can DRIVE everywhere they want. So, can we make JB more connected to Singapore but without more cars driving into JB? A Rapid Transit System (RTS) can help.

The image above was prepared by Liew Toh Sen of MABEST Properties for MIEA’s Press Conference recently. It shows that JB will be connected to Singapore via the RTS by 2024. Frankly, not that far in the future. It shows that the station within JB would be in Bukit Chagar and it will be connected to the Woodlands North  station and then to the rest of Singapore. It will be jointly operated and 10,000 passengers can be carried every hour in each direction. Here’s an earlier article about its design and how to make it better. We can also see that travelling from JB to Singapore will no longer be hours but instead will be on time nearly all the time. Of course for Singaporeans with cars, this will still not be their main choice lah. RTS would serve working people I believe.  His full presentation can be downloaded here. 
The RTS would certainly help many Malaysians who are working in Singapore and renting a $800 – S$1,000 rooms currently to move back into JB and perhaps get a property instead of renting. Many developers in JB are building more affordable units too. Assuming the rush office hour is 2 hours, then there are a total of 20,000 people using this service. Just 20% of this 20,000 would mean a potential demand of 4,000 new properties. Not bad at all. I personally rate RTS as the real catalyst for Iskandar instead of just the High Speed Rail or even the BRT which is more on connectivity efficiency within Iskandar. My only wish? Make it happen faster, perhaps instead of 2024. Happy waiting for the day.
written on 9 Jan 2018
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