The operator of the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is in the midst of conducting a final market study to determine the fares for the cross-border rail link, and a decision on the price of a ride will be made closer to the start of operations.
Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Singapore’s Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said this to reporters on June 30 after the unveiling of the first of eight trains that will serve the light rail line when it opens at the end of 2026.
Mr Loke said RTS Operations (RTSO) – a joint venture between Singapore transport operator SMRT and Malaysian public transport firm Prasarana – will determine the fares of the 4km rail link.
“Of course, we hope that the right price mechanism is in place to ensure that we can encourage more people to use the RTS Link,” he added.
“The whole idea of this project is to make the modal shift, to ensure that more people use public transport to cross the Causeway. So I think that is one of the important considerations,” Mr Loke said.
Mr Siow said the RTS Link fare has to be determined commercially, and RTSO will need to take into account demand and supply, as well as the alternative transport options, such as cross-border public buses, and how much they cost.
He added: “We’ll have to leave it to (RTSO) to figure it out, and I think they will do that probably closer to the service commencement.”
Regarding what a fair price would be, Mr Loke later said that the fare must be less than what it costs for passengers to use their own means of transport.
“For example, if a worker lives farther away and rides a motorcycle across the Causeway to come to Singapore, he may have to pay for fuel and other costs… If the RTS fare is lower than his expenses, it will definitely encourage him to use the RTS,” Mr Loke added.
“In the end, this is a huge expense, a huge investment for us,” he said. “Both governments have invested a lot of money in this project, so we must meet that goal.”
Asked whether the RTS Link’s operating hours would be adjusted to suit the travel patterns of Malaysians who travel to Singapore for work, Mr Loke said that some leave their homes as early as 5am and this is something that RTSO will need to take into account.
RTSO has said that trains on the line will run from 6am to midnight daily.
Mr Loke also said that Malaysia and Singapore are pushing for an open payment system with multiple ways to pay for an RTS Link ride, adding that this is a trend for public transport operators worldwide.
Meanwhile, Mr Siow was asked whether the opening of the RTS Link will have an impact on other transport modes, including the reduction of cross-border public bus frequencies.
To this, he said the intent of the rail link is to create more mobility, and there are no immediate plans to adjust bus schedules.
The event on June 30 was the first time that Mr Siow in his capacity as Acting Minister had met Mr Loke and Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
Mr Siow said the RTS Link is dear to his heart, as he was part of the joint conceptualisation at the early stages of the project.
“We needed the right opportunity and the leadership to see it through, and we have that today. And it is almost surreal to me to see the RTS Link emerge out of the agreement that we signed eight years ago,” he said.
He added: “I, and many Singaporeans and Malaysians, look forward to the continued close cooperation between both sides and the successful delivery of the project.”
Kok Yufeng for The Straits Times
