JOHOR BARU: More than 4,000 bus tickets to Singapore were snapped up within the first nine hours in the run-up to the commencement of the Land Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL-Land) between Johor and Singapore next Monday.

       The website of Handal Indah Sdn Bhd, which operates buses branded under Causeway Link, was swamped with users since bookings opened at 8am yesterday.

       Handal Indah deputy executive director Lim Chern Fang said the response has been good, with more than 4,000 tickets (out of 10,000 on offer) snapped up by 5pm for travel to Singapore between Nov 29 and Dec 5.

       Handal Indah, together with Transtar Travel, are the two bus companies authorised under this bilateral arrangement to ferry approved travellers across the Causeway and back.

       “Each day, we will be selling a maximum of 1,440 tickets (for entry into Singapore). I was informed the online queue has run into the thousands as there is a process for people to fill up the necessary details,” she said as she urged the public to be patient.

       Lim said Handal Indah’s ticketing server will be fully operational to handle the surge of users in the coming days.

       She said tickets are priced at RM20 from Johor Baru to Singapore, while the tickets from Singapore to Johor are priced at S$15 (RM45).

       “From the report I am getting, ticket sales have been very encouraging,” she said, adding that prior to the pandemic, the bus company was operating about 150 to 170 trips daily, ferrying more than 30,000 passengers.

       Meanwhile, Johor’s Public Works, Transportation and Infrastructure committee chairman Mohd Solihan Badri said he too received reports that the designated cross border bus services had received overwhelming response.

       “Many want to reunite with their families, whom they have not seen for almost two years. They feel that this will be the best way as it saves people money by not having to undergo quarantine,” he said.

       Solihan added that Covid-19 testing will be done at Larkin Sentral on the Malaysian side for bus passengers arriving from Singapore.

       “If you are negative, you can continue your journey. Those who test positive will have to return to Singapore.

       “We will also carry out contact tracing of the people sitting around the infected person. So it is important for people to sit in the seats allocated, and not move about in the bus,” he added.

       On Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the launch of the VTL-Land that coincides with the VTL-Air (between Singapore’s Changi and KLIA) will further enhance bilateral and economic relations between both countries.

       “Apart from workers, the VTL-Land will provide an opportunity for Malaysians and Singaporeans on both sides of the Causeway who have been separated from their families due to the Covid-19 pandemic, to be reunited,” he added.

       Ismail Sabri said both governments have also agreed to an initial daily limit not exceeding 1,500 travellers for the land crossing, with weekly increments thereafter.

       Under the VTL, fully vaccinated travellers can travel between Singapore and Malaysia but be subject to Covid-19 tests in lieu of serving quarantine or a stay-at-home notice.

       The land border between Malaysia and Singapore has been closed since March 18, 2020, when Malaysia imposed its movement control order.

       Travellers coming into Malaysia using the VTL-Land need to register at mysafetravel.gov.my while travellers from Malaysia to Singapore are required to register at go.gov.sg/vtl-portal. These registrations are compulsory before any ticket purchases are made.

       Details on the VTL-Land requirements can be found on miti.gov.my and safetravel.ica.gov.sg.