Tailored programmes, infrastructure upgrades for concerned merchants in northern Singapore ahead of RTS Link

Residents and merchants also pointed to potential roads or carparks to improve accessibility or connectivity, he added.

“We are going into quite minute detail to find out what are the specific challenges and opportunities in the north, and then we can tailor these national programmes specifically to the north.”

These infrastructure improvements are “by no means trivial” and are “very important” because they help to drive traffic to businesses located in the north, said Mr Tan.

With the opening of the RTS Link and greater ease of crossing the Causeway using QR codes, shopkeepers in Woodlands and Marsiling fear that these developments will make Johor Bahru even more attractive to Singapore shoppers.

A task force to help Singaporeans and local businesses seize opportunities and reap the benefits from the upcoming RTS Link, chaired by Mr Tan, was announced in March.

In October, the task force held five engagements with a total of 160 people, including residents, merchants and trade associations, said Mr Tan on Wednesday.

The merchants are “understandably” concerned about whether the convenience afforded by the RTS Link will negatively impact their businesses, he added.

“I think that’s very understandable. Whether the people coming from Malaysia will spend at the shops, particularly in the northern area, and whether Singaporeans when they travel when it’s more convenient to go across to Johor, whether that will result in lower spending,” said Mr Tan.

These concerns were “anticipated”, he added. “But they are also excited about the ability to also go across and to have more people coming over to Singapore, particularly in the north.”

The task force will produce a report with its recommendations in the first half of 2026, said Mr Tan.

When borders were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, merchants in the north saw a boost in traffic because residents could only patronise local shops, noted Mr Zaqy Mohamad, who is one of the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) representatives for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.

Businesses reported a 30 per cent to 40 per cent drop in revenue compared to the peak during the pandemic, he added, noting that people who live nearby now cross the border to “take advantage” of cheaper products and services.

One concern raised was how to bring traffic from Malaysia to these local businesses, driving it to the retail outlets and hawker centres in neighbourhood centres, said Mr Zaqy, who is also Senior Minister of State of Sustainability and the Environment.

While crossing the Causeway for shopping is attractive since items there “seem to be cheaper” because of Singapore’s currency, the neighbourhood centre “can never be replaced”, said fellow Member of Parliament representing Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Hany Soh.

“The convenience there, the relationships that have been harnessed over the years between residents and merchants, going to the market knowing that you are here for a specific product on a weekly basis, these are things that are intangible relationships that will never be replaced,” she added.