Boost for Iskandar

Boost for Iskandar Posted on February 27, 2013 - Property News. By ZAZALI MUSA JOHOR BARU: Iskandar Malaysia will benefit immensely with the implementation of the rapid transit system (RTS) and high speed rail (HSR) linking Malaysia and Singapore. Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda) chief executive officer Datuk Ismail Ibrahim said the systems would create good prospects and strong economic growth for the region. He said strong economic growth would in return generate employment for local population especially for knowledge and skilled workers. “We at Irda will give our utmost cooperation to both the Malaysia and Singapore Governments in implementing the two projects,” said Ismail. He said this in a press conference after hosting the annual luncheon for the bureau chiefs and the representatives of the media organisations based in Johor Baru recently. Last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong jointly announced their agreement to develop the RTS and the HSR. The RTS will link Johor Baru and Singapore to improve accessibility and connectivity between the two points and will be up and running by 2018. The HSR on the other hand will cut travel times from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore in just 90 minutes from five hours of driving and seven hours by rail, and expected to be completed by 2020. “A comprehensive integrated transportation system is needed within Iskandar to incorporate and support the RTS and the HSR,” said Ismail. He said there would be three options for the RTS project for the trains to run above ground (grate) or via undersea tunnel. Ismail said the final outcome on what kind of link would be built would all depend on the recommendations of the study of the two governments involved as well as costing. The terminating stations of the link will be in at former site of the Tanjung Puteri Lorry Custom Complex here and in the vicinity of Republic Polytechnic in Singapore. The RTS will have co-located CIQ facility in Singapore and here so that commuters need to clear immigration only once for each way of travel. Johor Baru and Woodlands in Singapore is linked by the 1.056km Johor Causeway completed in 1932, and between 80,000 and 100,000 vehicles use it daily. Johor and the republic are also connected via the Second Link, a dual three-lane carriageway linking Tanjung Kupang to Tuas in Singapore, the bridge is about 1.9km long. http://www.starproperty.my/index.php/property-news/boost-for-iskandar/