JOHOR BAHRU: Before the sun even rises, the Gelang Patah bus station is already packed. At 5 a.m. on Aug 5, more than a hundred people stood in line, some yawning, some scrolling on their phones, waiting for the yellow Causeway Link bus to Singapore, reported Channel News Asia (CNA).
When the bus finally pulled in, passengers at the front boarded until it was completely full. The rest, still clutching their bags, could only watch it pull away before resuming their wait.
“During morning rush hour, this is normal,” said Kevin Foh, a Gelang Patah resident in his 30s who works in retail in Singapore. “Sometimes we have to wait for two to three buses before we can board, if we are lucky,” he told CNA.
One bridge, one option
The bus terminal — roughly half the size of a football field — serves as a key transit point for thousands of Malaysians living in southwest Johor towns such as Pontian, Iskandar Puteri and Kulai who commute to Singapore daily, CNA reported.
For these commuters, the Causeway Link buses are the only viable public transport option across the Tuas Second Link. Unlike the Woodlands Causeway, there is no train, no pedestrian walkway, and no other cross-border public transport service available.
A proposal that’s turning heads
Many of those who spoke to CNA welcomed Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s recent call for both Singapore and Malaysia to consider a second Rapid Transit System (RTS) link connecting Tuas and Iskandar Puteri.
“In line with the royal decree of Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, I presented several strategic proposals, including a plan to connect Tuas and Iskandar Puteri via an RTS2 system,” Onn Hafiz said in a Facebook statement on July 31, following his meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
While he did not specify the proposed station locations, Foh told CNA that the plan would be “good” for those in the west: “I will just take a taxi from my house to (the proposed RTS station in Iskandar Puteri) instead of this bus station and take the train over to Singapore. It will be much quicker — less waiting time, less queueing hopefully.”
He added that while central Johor Bahru commuters will soon benefit from the first RTS link between Bukit Chagar and Singapore, set to open in December 2026, the station is 25 km from Gelang Patah, a two-hour bus ride during peak hours.
Cautious optimism and local concerns
On Reddit, the proposal sparked a mix of enthusiasm, caution, and local worries. Some users stressed the need to learn from the first RTS link before rushing into a second one, with one commenting: “Let’s see how RTS1 goes in the long run (min 10 years), we don’t want [to end up] paying more than we should.”
Others liked the idea as an alternative route into Johor Bahru, especially for those heading to areas such as Paradigm Mall, Sutera, and Bukit Indah. But as one pointed out, connectivity on the Singapore side would also matter: “They have to increase MRT frequency to Tuas. Once I waited for the MRT for 10–15 mins at Tuas.”
There was also criticism that RTS projects have been scaled down in capacity. One commenter said it “could have and should have been built for its original MRT-sized capacity, and not the downsized LRT carrying capacity it currently is being built for.”
A Johorean user raised a different concern altogether: the potential for property prices to spiral: “Our property prices here will skyrocket… young working adults who wish to own a house in JB area will definitely have to consider working in SG to afford one. In fact, prices are already on the rise,” the commenter stated.
These discussions reflect how, while commuters are eager for faster, more reliable connections, there is also a recognition that new links bring broader social and economic consequences.
Singapore keeps the door open
Singapore’s Ministry of Transport told CNA that it is “open to discussing any new proposals from Malaysia” and is continuing to work closely with Malaysia to launch the Johor Bahru–Singapore RTS link.
Until then, the scene at Gelang Patah remains unchanged: buses arrive, fill up, and leave, while those still in line — sometimes for two or three more rounds — wait in the pre-dawn darkness for their turn to make the crossing.
