Malaysia, Singapore To Reduce Toll Charges For Second Link

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, May 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to reduce the toll charges for the Second Link to increase the road connectivity between the two countries.

This was announced by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong after the leaders' retreat at the Shangri-La Hotel here Monday.

The toll charges at both sides of the Second Link, connecting Tuas here and Tanjung Kupang in Johor, would be reduced significantly, both the leaders said at a joint press conference after the retreat.

The new toll charges will be announced within a month.

Najib said he and Lee agreed that for the two countries to further enhance their bilateral ties, the road connectivity between Malaysia and Singapore needed to be increased and smoothened.

Both leaders also announced that the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) on Iskandar Malaysia, tasked to increase the connectivity between the two countries, had agreed on several moves.

The cross-border scheduled bus services will be doubled with the introduction of eight new additional routes, four from each side, between Pasar Bakti and Larkin in Johor and the two integrated resorts (the Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands Singapore), Boon Lay, Yishun, Newton and Changi Airport in Singapore.

Cross-border taxi services will also be liberalised, with taxies being allowed to pick up and drop off passengers from any location on the domestic leg of that journey, instead of only at the designated taxi terminals.

The JMC has also formed a Cross Border Land Checkpoint Committee to facilitate cooperation on operational management and cross-border traffic.

On tourism, both countries are looking into the possibility of twinning an eco-tourism product.

Malaysia and Singapore would also share experiences and jointly develop plans for river cleaning in line with efforts being undertaken in Iskandar Malaysia