JOHOR BARU, May 18 ― The Rail Transit System (RTS) Link connecting between Bukit Chagar here and Woodlands North in Singapore is expected to be a game-changer for the country’s economic sector, as it can boost growth within the Johor Baru city area.

Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim said the RTS should not be looked at as a construction progress, but a project that provides economic spillover effects that can also attract foreign investments into Johor.

"Among the economic sectors that may stand to benefit from having the RTS were health care, higher education and also hospitality.

"To attract more investors and make connectivity much easier within city, MRT Corp is currently conducting a study on the traffic dispersal system connecting RTS Link with the Eastern Dispersal route.

"Once we have completed the study within the next couple of months, we will then hand over the report to both the Johor and federal governments as well as the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB),” said Mohd Zarif.

He said this in a media update on the RTS project while hosting a group of business students from Wharton School from the University of Pennsylvania and Singapore Management University at Menara JLand here.

MRT Corp chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim said the RTS Link will provide economic spillover effects that can also attract foreign investments into Johor, May 18, 2022. — Picture by Ben Tan

Mohd Zarif said upon completion, the RTS project is capable of absorbing 35 per cent of traffic congestion at the Causeway.

He said the RTS project was on track to be complete by end of December 2026, where it would be fully operational in the dollowing month by January 1, 2027.

Mohd Zarif said MRT Corp has recently resolved land acquisition issues at the Wadihana area here for the RTS project back in December last year.

"Once the RTS is fully operational, we are expecting to see 35 per cent out of the daily 350,000 travellers recorded before the pandemic period who commute daily between Malaysia and Singapore using the Causeway,” he said.

Mohd Zarif said the RTS project is expected to ferry 10,000 passengers in each hour through its stations located at Bukit Chagar here and Woodlands North in Singapore.

"We are working closely with various agencies such as the Immigration Department, Customs Department and the Health Ministry to ease travel flow using the RTS.

"Travellers can expect an estimated travel time of 15 minutes between Malaysia and Singapore via the RTS,” he said.

Mohd Zarif added that pricing of the fare has yet to be agreed and proposed.

He assured the public that the fare would be competitive as MRT Corp undertakes its completion.