JOHOR BARU, Nov 29 — The Johor government said it plans to propose for Putrajaya to initiate a second Land Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) at the Second Link crossing near Gelang Patah here following today’s start of the route at the Causeway.

Johor Public Works, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Mohd Solihan Badri said the state government is well prepared to initiate the Land VTL and is looking at expanding the route to include the Second Link crossing.

“So far, we are really satisfied with the route’s implementation at the Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal today.

“We will forward the proposal to the Federal government as an alternate means to allow more people to see their families here,” Mohd Solihan said during a news conference after checking on the land VTL operations at the bus terminal here.

Mohd Solihan said as of 12pm today, the number of travellers entering Johor from Singapore stands at 350 individuals where from the figure, only one Covid-19 positive case has been recorded.

“The state government will continue to work closely with Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal’s management, the Land Public Transport Agency, Johor Public Transport Corporation, bus operators, and Health Ministry officials to make sure the Land VTL continues to operate smoothly,” he said.

Mohd Solihan, who is the Tenang assemblyman, also played down the single Covid-19 positive case that was detected today.

He said the Health Ministry has since separated the 21-year-old male passenger and placed him in a quarantine centre here.

Meanwhile, Johor Mentri Besar’s advisor Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said that the state government is looking at the inclusion of other transportation allowed under the Land VT travel route.

“If the VTL-Land continues without any problem, then there is no reason to open it to include other forms of transportation,” he said, adding that the state government would discuss the matter with the federal government.

Today marks the first time that Malaysians and authorised travellers are using the Land VTL to cross the 1.06km Johor Causeway in almost two years since the international land borders here were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Land VTL route only covers long-term pass holders for those working in Singapore and Johor Baru.

In addition to being fully vaccinated, the Land VTL route only uses buses as transportation.

Last week, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that both Malaysia and Singapore will simultaneously launch both its Air and Land VTL between both countries on November 29.

Prior to that, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad on November 21 announced that a total of 1,440 individuals are expected to use the Land VTL route between Malaysia and Singapore which will be implemented simultaneously with the Air VTL today.