Malaysia-Singapore: All cross-border public transport to resume services from April 1 – transport minister

Public transportation services between Malaysia and Singapore will resume services from April 1, 2022 when both countries open their land borders to all travellers, transport minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said in a statement by the ministry of transport today.

This comes after last week’s statement by Malaysian prime minister Datuk Ismail Sabri and Singapore prime minster Lee Hsien Loong, which stated that fully vaccinated travellers can travel across the causeway between Singapore and Malaysia without the need to undergo quarantining or testing, including pre-departure and on-arrival tests; these permissions were also reiterated in the latest statement from the transport ministry.

“In line with the opening of the land border between Malaysia and Singapore from April 1, 2022, all classes of cross-border public transport between both countries will be allowed to operate from the same date,” the statement read, adding that the permission applies to all classes of land public transport, such as stage buses, express buses, tour buses, worker buses and taxis.

“Therefore, all operators of public transport services in the country may start preparing towards restarting their operations, such as the renewal of all relevant permits and licenses, be they with the road transport department (JPJ), land public transport agency (APAD) or with the authorities in Singapore,” the transport minister said in the statement.

“However, these preparations or resumptions are subject to the operators’ readiness to rendering services to the public,” the statement continued.

All operators of cross-border land public transport are reminded to adhere to the existing Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs), which include ensuring all passengers undergo QR code check-ins, and the service operators or vehicle drivers may refuse the service of transport to any traveller not abiding by health protocols, such as the wearing of face masks.

Failure to comply may result in action taken against the traveller, such compounds and penalties under existing laws, the statement read.

Travellers crossing the land border into Malaysia are reminded to register their vehicles and obtain the foreign vehicle entry permit (VEP) from https://vep.jpj.gov.my. Vehicles that have been registered will be supplied with an RFID-VEP tag, which will be linked to the Touch ‘n Go eWallet mobile app for the purpose of paying for the Road Charge (RC) and toll fare.

All Singapore-registered private cars will need to pay a road charge of RM20 per entry, via the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) checkpoints. According to the website, this charge does not apply to motorcycles.

For Singapore-registered cars which are yet to be supplied with the RFID-VEP tag, road charge payments can still be made via the Touch ‘n Go physical card. Drivers of Singapore-registered cars are also reminded to have sufficient balance in their eWallet or physical Touch ‘n Go cards for making the payments to avoid congestion and delays.

“The Transport Ministry hopes the reopening of the Malaysia-Singapore borders will not only spur the economic growth of both countries, but also strengthen our family ties and friendships between Malaysians and Singaporeans,” the transport minister said in concluding the statement.

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