JOHOR BAHRU: MRT Corp Chief Executive Officer Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim says the RM5 billion Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) will create more than RM25 billion in economic spin-off.

Indeed, he insisted that one of the objectives of the RTS project was to woo more investors to Johor.

In a joint interview with the press, Mohd Zarif said real estate development in the vicinity of Bukit Chagar station would attract additional RM3 billion of investments.

He said MRT Corp was working with Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation to implement an urban development project on a six-acre site adjacent to the Bukit Chagar RTS station.

“We will make sure the Bukit Chagar real estate development project will encompass co-working spaces and a hub for technology incubation.”

Mohd Zarif said the entire RTS project had created 2,000 direct job opportunities, plus another 500 positions once the project becomes operational.

Despite the rising building material cost, Mohd Zarif is confident that the RTS project can be completed within its RM5 billion budget.

Bounded area

The RTS project will be managed by RTS Operations Pte Ltd, a joint venture company between Prasarana Malaysia Bhd (52%) and Singapore’s SMRT Corp (48%).

Mohd Zarif said the RTS station is a bounded area, meaning the project route will not be extended, as passengers entering the system will have to pass through the immigration system.

Nevertheless, he asserted that connectivity could be improved through domestic projects such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

Once RTS goes into operation, it is imperative for the authorities to effectively control the traffic volume in the surrounding areas.

Where this is concerned, certain roads have been identified for widening, while certain roads leading to major arterial roads such as Jalan Skudai and Jalan Tebrau will have to be closed.

Other facilities include “Park and Ride” and traffic light signal readjustment.

Ticket fare

When asked how much a train ticket between Johor Bahru and Singapore should cost, Mohd Zarif asked: “How much is a bus ticket between JB and Singapore?

“Around RM3, right? But how much time do you need to take to reach your destination? Probably an hour or two!”

He said the travelling time between Johor Bahru and Singapore will only be five minutes, plus an average of another 15 minutes for immigration clearance.

“Taking into consideration the amount of time saved, can we just fix the fare at around RM6? Is such pricing acceptable to the public?”

Despite an earlier round of survey on ticket pricing, Mohd Zarif said the authorities plan to carry out another survey some time next year.

He expected the RTS to carry up to 90,000 passengers a day during the initial phase, reaching 130,000 to 150,000 a day within three years.