SINGAPORE: Singapore and Malaysia will launch a land vaccinated travel lane (VTL) via the Causeway next Monday (Nov 29), the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said on Wednesday.
As part of the first phase of the land VTL, travellers will need to use designated VTL bus services. Travellers have to be citizens, permanent residents or long-term pass holders of the country they are entering.
This is to give priority to those who have been working in either country to visit their families, said PMO.
“Malaysia is Singapore’s closest neighbour and the two countries share deep and warm relations. The Causeway was one of the busiest land borders in the world before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our cross-border activities," said Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
"The launch of the VTL (Land) is a big step towards reconnecting our people and economies, and will further enhance our bilateral relationship.”
There will be 32 land VTL designated bus services entering each country per day, with a maximum capacity of 45 "fully seated" passengers per trip.
That means the daily quota for the land VTL scheme will be about 2,900 travellers in total, with 1,440 passengers each way.
The designated services will be operated by two companies. Transtar Travel will operate 32 daily designated trips - 16 trips from Malaysia and 16 trips from Singapore - between Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange in Singapore and Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal in Johor Bahru.
Handal Indah will similarly operate 32 daily trips between Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal and Queen Street Terminal in Singapore.
Bus tickets will go on sale at 8am on Thursday, and tickets will be released for sale 30 days ahead. Travellers are also required to purchase their bus tickets at least three days prior to the date of departure.
Travellers who arrive in Singapore via other means apart from the designated bus services will be subjected to prevailing border control measures, which include serving a seven-day stay-home notice, said PMO.
Travellers entering Singapore must have remained in Malaysia, any other VTL or Category I country or region as recognised by the Singapore Government, and/or Singapore in the last 14 consecutive days before arrival in Singapore.
Such travellers must also test negative in a valid pre-departure COVID-19 antigen rapid test (ART) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR), within two calendar days before departure for Singapore. These tests must be taken at a laboratory or centre that is accredited or recognised by the Malaysia Ministry of Health.
Children aged two years and below in the calendar year are not required to undergo these tests.
Travellers also must be fully vaccinated, and unvaccinated children aged 12 years and below must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult.
All travellers are required to submit the SG Arrival Card with Electronic Health Declaration via the ICA website or through the SG Arrival Card mobile application that can be downloaded for free.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Malaysia has yet to announce further details on entry for travellers via the land VTL.
The land VTL will be also rolled out in a "safe and calibrated manner", said PMO.
Singapore and Malaysia aim to progressively expand the land VTL to include more travellers, including general travellers, taking into account the public health situation, added PMO.
Both countries will also work towards restoring travel through Tuas Second Link.
"Singapore and Malaysia have a long-standing, broad and multi-faceted relationship. Our bilateral trade, investment and tourism ties are robust, and our people share a close affiliation with each other," said PMO.
"COVID-19 has disrupted the people-to-people connection and separated families in the two countries for many months."
Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong noted that the launch of the VTLs between Singapore and Malaysia will allow workers from both countries to travel home to reunite with their families after many months.
"We are starting the VTL (Land) in a safe and calibrated manner, so that we can progress smoothly. We seek the understanding of workers who may not be able to purchase a bus ticket to travel home immediately due to limited capacity in the initial phase of the launch," added Mr Gan.
"We will continue to work with Malaysia to expand the VTL (Land) arrangement to more travellers in the coming weeks."
A previously announced VTL between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) will also begin on Nov 29.
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As part of the first phase of the land VTL, travellers will need to use designated VTL bus services. Travellers have to be citizens, permanent residents or long-term pass holders of the country they are entering.
This is to give priority to those who have been working in either country to visit their families, said PMO.
“Malaysia is Singapore’s closest neighbour and the two countries share deep and warm relations. The Causeway was one of the busiest land borders in the world before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our cross-border activities," said Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
"The launch of the VTL (Land) is a big step towards reconnecting our people and economies, and will further enhance our bilateral relationship.”
There will be 32 land VTL designated bus services entering each country per day, with a maximum capacity of 45 "fully seated" passengers per trip.
That means the daily quota for the land VTL scheme will be about 2,900 travellers in total, with 1,440 passengers each way.
The designated services will be operated by two companies. Transtar Travel will operate 32 daily designated trips - 16 trips from Malaysia and 16 trips from Singapore - between Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange in Singapore and Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal in Johor Bahru.
Handal Indah will similarly operate 32 daily trips between Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal and Queen Street Terminal in Singapore.
Bus tickets will go on sale at 8am on Thursday, and tickets will be released for sale 30 days ahead. Travellers are also required to purchase their bus tickets at least three days prior to the date of departure.
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Travellers who arrive in Singapore via other means apart from the designated bus services will be subjected to prevailing border control measures, which include serving a seven-day stay-home notice, said PMO.
Travellers entering Singapore must have remained in Malaysia, any other VTL or Category I country or region as recognised by the Singapore Government, and/or Singapore in the last 14 consecutive days before arrival in Singapore.
Such travellers must also test negative in a valid pre-departure COVID-19 antigen rapid test (ART) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR), within two calendar days before departure for Singapore. These tests must be taken at a laboratory or centre that is accredited or recognised by the Malaysia Ministry of Health.
Children aged two years and below in the calendar year are not required to undergo these tests.
Travellers also must be fully vaccinated, and unvaccinated children aged 12 years and below must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult.
All travellers are required to submit the SG Arrival Card with Electronic Health Declaration via the ICA website or through the SG Arrival Card mobile application that can be downloaded for free.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Malaysia has yet to announce further details on entry for travellers via the land VTL.
PROGRESSIVE EXPANSION OF LAND VTL
The land VTL will be also rolled out in a "safe and calibrated manner", said PMO.
Singapore and Malaysia aim to progressively expand the land VTL to include more travellers, including general travellers, taking into account the public health situation, added PMO.
Both countries will also work towards restoring travel through Tuas Second Link.
"Singapore and Malaysia have a long-standing, broad and multi-faceted relationship. Our bilateral trade, investment and tourism ties are robust, and our people share a close affiliation with each other," said PMO.
"COVID-19 has disrupted the people-to-people connection and separated families in the two countries for many months."
Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong noted that the launch of the VTLs between Singapore and Malaysia will allow workers from both countries to travel home to reunite with their families after many months.
"We are starting the VTL (Land) in a safe and calibrated manner, so that we can progress smoothly. We seek the understanding of workers who may not be able to purchase a bus ticket to travel home immediately due to limited capacity in the initial phase of the launch," added Mr Gan.
"We will continue to work with Malaysia to expand the VTL (Land) arrangement to more travellers in the coming weeks."
A previously announced VTL between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) will also begin on Nov 29.
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