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JOHOR BAHRU<\/span> \u2013 The $5 to $7 proposed fare range for the upcoming <\/p>\n Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link<\/p>\n <\/a> is likely affordable for Malaysian office workers. <\/p>\n But it may be costly for those used to taking the bus or riding motorcycles to make trips across the Causeway, workers told The Straits Times.<\/p>\n The proposed range of fares was revealed by Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke in a Sin Chew Daily report on Feb 13.<\/p>\n RTS Link, slated to <\/p>\n begin operations by the end of 2026,<\/p>\n <\/a> will provide a direct, five-minute connection from Bukit Chagar in downtown Johor Bahru to Singapore\u2019s Woodlands North MRT station. Fares are expected to be announced in the second half of 2026.<\/p>\n To Mr Loo Yong Tat, a Malaysian tour executive working in Singapore, the fare range mentioned is comfortable, given that it is almost on a par with current train fares to cross the Causeway on the Shuttle Tebrau operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM).<\/p>\n A train ticket from Woodlands to Johor Bahru costs $5 (RM15.40), and RM5 for a trip the other way.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, a return trip costing $10 is okay, but more than that would be costly,\u201d said Mr Loo, 37, who currently rents a shared room in Singapore but is planning to move into a condominium in Johor Bahru in 2027.<\/p>\n Depending on the fares, he told ST, RTS Link could encourage Singapore-based Malaysian workers to live in Johor Bahru instead, noting that \u201csignificant savings could be made\u201d.<\/p>\n His monthly transport costs could amount to about $300 with the proposed fare range, which is lower than the $500 he now spends on rent.<\/p>\n \u201cSo long as the cost of taking the RTS daily is cheaper than paying the rent in Singapore, it is okay. But if my monthly expenses for the RTS cost more than renting in Singapore, then I\u2019d rather stay in Singapore, where I can have more rest instead of commuting across the border daily,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n However, Mr Saiful Abdullah, 37, is likely to think twice about using RTS Link for daily commute. He rides a motorcycle every day from his home in Taman Suria, Johor Bahru, to Changi Airport, where he works as a customer service assistant. <\/p>\n The 42km trip one way costs around $7, including parking, petrol and the $4 Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) fee for foreign-registered motorcycles.<\/p>\n \u201cI was contemplating switching to the RTS because it would spare me from congestion at the border. But at $5 to $7 each trip, I feel it\u2019s quite expensive compared with taking the bus or the MRT,\u201d he said. \u201cMore expensive than what I\u2019m spending using my motorbike.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that his commute JB to Changi Airport currently takes 40 minutes, whereas taking the MRT from Woodlands to Changi Airport alone would take around two hours.<\/p>\n In the Sin Chew article, Mr Loke explained that RTS Link fares are unlikely to be \u201cas cheap as taking public transport in Kuala Lumpur\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cBut overall it is still more cost-effective than crossing the border into Singapore on your own,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He added that fares are determined \u201cbased on commercial principles\u201d by RTS Operations \u2013 a joint venture between Malaysia\u2019s Prasarana and Singapore\u2019s SMRT Corporation \u2013 and that it \u201cwill not be easy\u201d to provide preferential measures such as subsidised monthly passes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Singapore government will not provide subsidies, so the operating model must ensure sustainable development,\u201d Mr Loke told Sin Chew.<\/p>\n ST has contacted RTS Operations for comments on the potential fare range.<\/p>\n Reactions to the proposed fare range are mixed from members in the Malaysia-Singapore Border Crossers Facebook page \u2013 a group comprising mostly Malaysians working in Singapore. <\/p>\n Some say that the $5 to $7 range is high compared with taking a bus, which offers more stop options in Singapore. Others said it is necessary to control demand and compete with alternatives, such as the cost to enter Singapore using personal vehicles.<\/p>\n