20% fewer cars from S'pore to Johor on 1st day VEP made mandatory: M'sia official

But they said it was too early to say if it was due to VEP.

By

Tan Min-Wei

October 01, 2024, 05:23 PM

The number of cars entering Johor from Singapore dropped 20 per cent on the morning of Oct. 1, 2024, according to a Malaysia Home Ministry official.

This comes after Malaysia implemented the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) requirement for all foreign-registered vehicles.

However, the official at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex (BSI) added that it was too early to say if it was because of the VEP, The Star reported.

BSI handles incoming vehicles at the Causeway entering Johor.

One staff member at an eatery in Johor Bahru observed a 40 per cent drop in customers, CNA reported.

No need for VEP... for now

The drop comes despite Road Transport Department (JPJ) officials in Malaysia earlier reassuring Singaporean motorists that they could still enter Johor without a RFID VEP tag for the time being.

The JPJ’s director general had confirmed that the enforcement of VEP for foreign-registered vehicles would still come into effect on Oct. 1, but would be implemented in phases.

During the initial phase, Singaporean vehicles could enter Malaysia as usual, but vehicles without a valid VEP tag would be reminded at entry points to register, install, and activate one immediately.

But should a foreign vehicle leave Malaysia without installing a VEP tag, the driver would be issued a warning notice.

Less than 35 minutes

The drop in travel by vehicles from Singapore to Johor was noticed earlier on Tuesday.

Mothership reported that traffic along the causeway to Johor Bahru was significantly less congested than usual.

It reportedly took less than 35 minutes to drive to JB on Tuesday morning.

The same journey undertaken on weekday mornings usually takes between 65 and 75 minutes.

The VEP process has filled many Singaporeans with consternation.

Several complained directly to the state of Johor’s chief minister, Onn Hafiz Ghazi, when he spoke at the National University of Singapore Society's 70th Anniversary Lecture in September and in the following days at a VEP installation centre.

Onn Hafiz promised to address the issue as soon as he could, and subsequently two additional locations for VEP installation were opened in Johor.

The clarification on VEP requirements for October 2024 was also soon issued.