Bukit Chagar CIQ to be operational by Oct 1

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) is set to commence operations at the Bukit Chagar Integrated Immigration, Customs and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex this year.

Its director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the CIQ is expected to be fully operational by Oct 1, with a projected capacity of around 10,000 passengers per day.

"The entry point involves the RTS (Johor Baru–Singapore Rapid Transit System), which will cover approximately four to 5km of rail from Bukit Chagar to Woodlands.

"There will be operations on both sides, in Singapore and at Bukit Chagar, likewise for the Singaporean authorities.

"I believe this is a government initiative to ease traffic congestion at the Johor Causeway.

"Insya-Allah, if all goes according to plan, we will see a modern and advanced facility used for crossing the Malaysia–Singapore border," he said during the MCBA director-general's mandate address at the agency's headquarters here today.

In a press conference, Shuhaily added that the related bill will be tabled during the current Parliamentary session.

The RTS Link is expected to carry 40,000 passengers per day at launch, with ridership projected to grow to around 140,000 daily, potentially handling 30 to 40 per cent of Causeway traffic once the service matures.

The co-located facilities at Bukit Chagar are among the key features positioning the RTS Link as a world-class international gateway, reinforcing public transport as a dependable and preferred mode for cross-border travel when operations commence after construction is completed by year end.