JOHOR BARU, March 13 — Forest City said today it will expand its transport infrastructure to support the development of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and the Special Financial Zone (SFZ), making it a main transportation hub in the region.
Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd deputy president Syarul Izam Sarifudin said both the developer and bus concessionaire Causeway Link will collaborate to upgrade bus routes in Forest City, to achieve seamless connection with public transport in Johor Baru.
“The upgraded bus network in Forest City will be better integrated with the Johor Baru bus system, making the journey more convenient,” he said in a statement here.
The integrated property developer also said it wishes to offer other forms of transport such as rail.
The planned improvements include optimising existing routes to shopping destinations such as Educity, NSK Nusajaya, and AEON Bukit Indah; increasing the frequency of buses to the Second Link; and introducing weekend services between Forest City and Kuala Lumpur.
The enhanced bus network began its trial operations on Feb 12, with full service commencing on Feb 16.
Forest City previously expanded its road transportation network in collaboration with Causeway Link in 2023, enhancing connectivity between Forest City and the Sultan Abu Bakar Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine Complex (KSAB) at the Second Link.
Syarul Izam also said Forest City is keen to integrate with all rail services, including the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (KL-Singapore HSR), Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) or Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Johor Baru that have yet to be finalised.
In the same statement, Johor Works, Transportation, Infrastructure, and Communications Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said the state government is committed to improving transportation links to ensure the success of SFZ and JS-SEZ.
He said between 300,000 and 400,000 travellers cross the Causeway and Second Link daily, highlighting the importance of transportation and the RTS.
“The Malaysian government’s single immigration clearance system at both Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and KSAB Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complexes have started operations.
“The system uses facial recognition, besides QR code and passports. It enables much faster immigration clearance at the two land checkpoints, which is the Causeway and Second Link, allowing for more seamless travel between Malaysia and Singapore,” he said.
Mohamad Fazli added that the state government is also focused on developing a transit network to link Forest City’s SFZ with the JS-SEZ.
“With this in mind, the state government is looking at having an elevated ART system at three corridors, which is the Iskandar Puteri line, Skudai line and Tebrau line,” he said, adding that the Iskandar Puteri corridor line will be able to connect to Forest City’s SFZ and also the wider JS-SEZ.
Mohamad Fazli said that these initiatives would solidify Forest City’s role as a transportation hub and attract both domestic and international investments.
“The state government will cooperate with multiple parties to actively promote relevant transportation development plans and contribute to the development of the special zones”,” he added.
