Bus boost, park and ride planned to solve traffic jams

A SHUTTLE bus along with a park and ride service are among the state’s initiatives to address worsening traffic congestion in the Johor Baru district.

Adding bus services to Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) is among the measures to be taken, said Johor works, transportation, infrastructure and communication committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh who chaired the special Johor Baru traffic dispersal committee meeting.

The meeting included various departments and agencies representatives, who discussed immediate actions to be taken to resolve traffic congestion issues.

“We also talked about the need to study the traffic distribution master plan to ensure a much smoother traffic flow in several locations around Johor Baru,” he said.

The Bukit Pasir assemblyman added the meeting also discussed the proposal to improve Bus Muafakat Johor (BMJ) and determining locations within the district that can become the main areas for the public to board these buses.

BMJ, which had been operating since 2016, is a free bus service for locals throughout the state. It had 69 routes that services about 12 million passengers.

The current BMJ route covers Larkin Sentral, JKR Larkin, Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Johor Zoo, Menara Landmark, Public Bank, Kotaraya Galleria, Persada International Convention Centre, Wisma Persekutuan, MBJB hub, Jalan Yahya Awal, as well as SJKT Yahya Awal.

Mohamad Fazli said the meeting also looked into traffic movement studies at three main locations in Johor Baru city where traffic congestion occured.

“The study focused on three main locations, namely Perling interchange, Taman Perling flyover and Angsana Johor Baru Mall,” he said.

“I hope every effort and collaboration through the special committee can yield good results for road users and the people in Johor.”