KOTA ISKANDAR – After much delay over the years, Johor Baru’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is targeted for stage-one operation rollout by the third quarter of 2025.
Deemed as the backbone of the Iskandar region’s revamped public transport system known as Iskandar Rapid Transit (IRT), the 55km high-capacity dedicated bus lane is set to feature three lines, namely Iskandar Puteri with 15km stretch, Skudai (18km), and Tebrau (22km).
The Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) has allocated solar-powered 22 stations on the three BRT lines, comprising ten stations on Tebrau as well as eight and four stations on Skudai and Iskandar Puteri respectively.
It is forecast that the rebranded IRT network will record 302,824 passengers daily by 2030, and are more economical than the construction and operation expenditures of the LRT lines in Klang Valley.
In the next 25 months, it will be the third BRT system in the country after the elevated line in Sunway and Kuching Urban Transportation System, which is currently conducting a trial of its autonomous rail transit vehicle.
At present, 187 cities worldwide have adopted the BRT system.
On Monday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced in Parliament that the expansion of IRT, which includes the BRT and intra-city bus services in Johor Baru, is part of the eleven new logistic and transportation projects under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
The federal-funded BRT transit development in the Iskandar region may cost up to RM2.5 billion, a total combination of the expenditure for infrastructure (RM1.2 billion) and procurement for the new high-capacity electric buses and systems (RM1.3 billion).
It is learned that the infrastructure cost took into account the RM180 million land acquisitions for the 65 acres in UTM Skudai, Desa Jaya, Medini and some pockets of spaces along Skudai Highway.
IRDA has also designated three interchange stations at Taman Tasek, Komtar and Sultanah Aminah Hospital.
It is understood that the Public Works Department and Works Ministry have given greenlight for the low-floor stations – 80m in length and 7m wide – to be constructed on the three federal roads.
With the exception of the Komtar station at 150m length, this will be the main transit point, with a stone’s throw distance to the proposed Rapid Transit Station at Bukit Chagar, eight minutes from the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex at the Sultan Iskandar Building and a 170m connection to the Johor Baru Sentral Railway Station.
Cost-effective
The Johor Baru BRT system is regarded as a cost-effective high-impact project in comparison to the rail-based projects in Greater Kuala Lumpur, such as the RM30 billion MRT1 or RM577 mil/km and LRT3 at RM489 mil/km.
According to the IRDA, the cost to build BRT networks that include infrastructure, buses and supporting systems is estimated at RM50 million per km or between seven to 10 times lower than the rail mode.
The Vibes understands that the IRT revamped bus network is aiming for 90% penetration with the target to reach 2.25 million population in 2030 and beyond.
IRDA’s head of infrastructure for the IRT project, Ezani Mohamad, delivered a briefing for G7-grade interested contractors vying for the contracts of the Package 2 and 3 at the Sultan Ismail Building here recently.
“We will also be organising outreach programmes for the stakeholders situated within the 500m radius of the proposed stations,” he told The Vibes.
Ezani said park and ride facilities have been identified at UTM, Medini, Anjung, and Desa Jaya, with several malls and public parking lots along the three lines.
It is stipulated that 60 companies have bid for the construction of BRT Package 1 (lane and stations) that will commence work in November on the Sultan Iskandar Highway.
A briefing session for Package 4 and 5 will be held on 20 September, with a closing date in the second week of October.
“Works shall begin one and a half month after the closing date of each package,” Ezani added. – The Vibes, September 15, 2023
