Artist's impression of the Woodlands North Station along the Rapid Transit System link. Photo: LTA
SINGAPORE - The planned Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link between Johor Baru and Singapore is "behind schedule and not progressing well", said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
This means that the start of cross-border MRT services - which were intended to ease congestion at land checkpoints - will likely be delayed beyond the original target date of Dec 31, 2024.
He was responding in a written parliamentary reply to Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong GRC), who had asked for a progress update on the RTS.
Mr Khaw, who is also Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure, said several milestones set out in the legally binding RTS Link bilateral agreement have been missed. The agreement was signed in January 2018.
As part of the agreement, a joint venture company comprising Singapore's SMRT and Malaysia's Prasarana Malaysia Berhad should have been formed by June 30 last year.
It should then have been appointed as the RTS Link operator through a concession agreement with Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Malaysian government by September 2018.
But over the past few months, Malaysia has indicated that it is considering replacing its joint venture partner, Mr Khaw said.
It has, however, delayed confirming this partner - first until September last year, then December. On Dec 28, it requested to be given until Feb 28 this year to do so.
"As a result of these delays, the joint venture company has not even been incorporated to date, let alone signed the concession agreement," Mr Khaw said.
It will be delayed indefinitely until they have found a suitable use for their sharp elbows that they have been boasting about....