ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Immigration Department will soon be able to activate 12 contra lanes at the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) during peak hours for vehicles exiting Johor, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

       Loke said that his ministry would deploy a vehicle equipped with cameras to the KSAB Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex next week as a short-term solution to address a technical challenge.

       "The Johor government has requested the ministry help with the activation of 12 contra lanes for vehicles exiting Malaysia. This is to help cope with congestion at the Second Link, especially during peak hours.

       "However, we face a technical challenge as there are no cameras to record the data of vehicles exiting Johor at the contra lanes. This data is necessary for the operation of the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) system.

       "As a temporary solution, we will deploy a vehicle equipped with the cameras that could capture the necessary information," he said.

       He said this in a press conference after visiting KSAB CIQ on Thursday (Jan 11).

       Loke added that the contra lanes, which allow motorists to use lanes meant for the opposite direction, could be activated at any time once the vehicle arrives next week.

       StarPicks

       Time for some thrills

       "The equipment will be sent here next week and the Immigration Department could activate the contra lanes anytime they think there is a need to do so," he said.

       Meanwhile, Johor Works, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said that the state government is grateful for the assistance of the ministry.

       "We are very grateful to the ministry for assisting us in addressing this issue. We hope that activating the contra lanes could reduce congestion here," he said.