Liew Dares Wee To Outline Public Transport Plans For Jb

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Calling the Johor state elections a battle of ideas and policies, Liew Chin Tong  has urged Wee Ka Siong to address the issue of public transport.JOHOR BAHRU: Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong has challenged transport minister Wee Ka Siong to outline his plans to develop public transport services in Johor Bahru.
Speaking at a press conference with DAP organising secretary Loke Siew Fook and the party’s Stulang candidate Andrew Chen, Liew said public transport in Johor Bahru needed major improvements.
“I suggest that the MCA president outline his vision for Johor Bahru and explain what are his plans, since he is the transport minister,” said Liew, who is the PH candidate for Perling in the upcoming polls.
“This election is a battle of ideas and policies, and so I urge the minister to outline his vision for the state.

“This is so that Johoreans know what the next state government will implement and what kind of ideas the minister has.”
Meanwhile, Loke, the former transport minister, lauded the former Pakatan Harapan (PH) government’s efforts at improving the public transport system between Singapore and Johor.
“We successfully renegotiated the Rapid Transit System (RTS) between Johor Bahru and Woodlands with the Singapore government.
“As a result, Malaysia was able to save over RM1 billion on the project which had been first signed under the Najib Razak administration,” he said, adding that under the revised agreement the maintenance of the trains were relocated from Singapore to Johor Bahru.
This, he pointed out, would create around 1,500 high-skilled jobs for locals in southern Johor.
On the RTS fare, the Seremban MP pointed out that the old fare model would have cost RM30 per day for a round trip.
“That would have been a burden for Malaysians who commute daily to work in Singapore. That is why we proposed a monthly public pass for such people, just as we had introduced in the Klang Valley,” he said.
According to Loke, the cost of subsidising the RTS fare could be covered with the road charges collected from Singapore-registered vehicles entering Malaysia.
“Putrajaya used to earn RM100 million in revenue from this alone, and 25% of that amount is channelled to the state government,” he said.
Loke also suggested making the RTS Link’s Bukit Chagar station a transport-oriented development and transportation hub, becoming a stop for metro buses and e-hailing taxis.
“Our vision is that Johoreans anywhere will not have to drive or ride their motorcycles (to get on the RTS). Whether they’re from Kulai or Senai, they could take a metro bus to Bukit Chagar station and take the RTS to Singapore.” - FMT

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