Huge demand as Singapore-Malaysia land VTL set to open
Travellers scrambled to get seats for quarantine-free travel on one of the world’s ‘land’ border crossings.
However any were left empty-handed due to the huge demand.
Cross-strait border travel between Singapore and Malaysia’s Johor Baru will resume as a non-air vaccinated travel lane from 29 November.
It opens the same day as the air VTL between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore Changi Airport.
The short crossing saw about 400,000 cross the causeway every day in pre-Covid ties.
Only around 1,500 will be able to cross each way under the VTL.
Only two bus companies will operate the 64 daily VTL bus trips.
When bookings opened on Thursday, Singapore bus company Transtar Travel’s allocation of seats for the first 30 days was sold out within minutes.
Malaysia bus company Handal Indah had a backlog of more than 10,000 people parked in ‘virtual waiting rooms’ just waiting to get on the online booking page.
Initially, it will be reserved for workers who commuted across the causeway before Covid shut down borders.
"Land travel between Singapore and Johor Bahru will only cover long-term pass borders, such as for those working in Singapore or those working in Johor Bahru," said Johor Chief Minister Datuk Hasni Mohammad,
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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