ISKANDAR PUTERI, Jan 11 — A contra lane for traffic leaving Malaysia for Singapore will be activated at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex of Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) here beginning next week, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

He said the implementation of the contra lane would increase the number of service counters from 24 to 36 and help in dispersing land traffic between the two countries via the Second Link.

"At KSAB there are 24 exit counters (Singapore-bound) and 24 entry counters (Malaysia-bound). Once we activate the contra lane, there will be an additional 12 counters or 50 per increase, bringing to 36 the number of exit counters. This is among the proposals made by the Johor government for peak-hour operations to ease travel and reduce congestion.

"The peak-hour traffic for contra lane exit counters is on Sundays when Singaporeans return to their country, unlike that for entry counters, which is on Fridays or Saturdays. Therefore, the implementation of this contra lane will not be a problem,” he told reporters after making a working visit to CIQ KSAB here today.

Also present was Johor Works, Transport and Infrastructure Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh.

Asked about the foreign Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) control system and Road Charge (RC) at the contra lane, Loke said a mobile method would be used in the short term before a permanent service is implemented by the end of the fourth quarter this year at the latest.

"VEP and RC are vital for storing the data of vehicles leaving the country via registered routes. The mobile method is the best way to resolve this issue because at the moment the exit contra lane does not have a permanent system.

"What is needed for the implementation of the contra lane is approval from JPJ (Road Transport Department), which is under the Ministry of Transport (MOT). We allow it on the condition that the technical issue be settled (mobile method on exit contra lane),” he said.

Mohamad Fazli said the state government was thankful to MOT for allowing the exit contra lane to be implemented at KSAB.

"Alhamdulillah, the minister has given his commitment to this initiative with the use of the mobile method. I hope this initiative can improve traffic flow on the Second Link.

"The Second Link is mostly used by lorries but after Covid-19 and an improvement in service efficiency, more people including motorcyclists are using this route,” he added. — Bernama