Protocols for the New Daily Commuting Scheme – Things to Consider during Bus Travel

The Johor Bahru and Singapore governments have implemented the cross border travel schemes- Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA), allowing travel between them. The decision came in response to the mounting pressure by Malaysian workers who were affected by the border closures. 

The PCA scheme allows the citizens and permanent residents of Malaysia and Singapore to travel between the two countries for work purposes. The Daily Commuting Arrangement (DCA) will allow up to 30,000 commuters every day.

“Implementing this scheme is the right decision to resume travel in stages. As per the figures of the RGL category, we observed that it is helping many corporate individuals and businessmen to work,” said Mr Hasni. 

“The standard operating procedures for PCA fit those with work permits in the country. And I suppose it will continue to improve,” he added.

The RGL scheme allows Malaysia and Singapore residents to do short-term 14 days’ travel for official purposes. 

For the travel schemes’ facilitation, the government plans to issue travel passes to citizens every 10 days. The pass holders will be able to commute between the two countries three times during that period. 

“For the safety of travelers, we have recommended the use of accredited laboratories to conduct COVID-19 testing on travelers. To set up the testing and screening procedures, we will invite health professionals as well,” said Mr Hasni. 

The state is hoping to reopen the borders as soon as the COVID situation improves. This step is being considered essential to boost the economy of Johor Bahru, which has been badly hit during the pandemic. 

Mr Hasni said, “The rate of compliance with the safety protocols will also determine the future arrangements for daily commuting. The screening procedures need to be improved before reopening the borders for more travelers.” 

With the allowance of travel across the two borders, visitors can now use a bus for commutation. They can book a bus online ticket for their travel needs. There are many travel operators offering bus online services for booking tickets in Malaysia for cross border travel. Among them, redBus is a leading service facilitating safe travel during this time that passengers can trust.

Under their safety+ initiative, passengers can book buses with a safety+ tag that follows all the necessary precautionary measures for traveling between the countries. The buses are deep cleaned and have provisions of hand sanitizers. The staff members undergo thermal screening regularly. Mask-wearing is mandatory for everyone on the bus. 

Travelers can book a redBus bus ticket online. The service has a dedicated bus online ticket booking system for passengers, enabling easy booking and travel services. 

With the allowance of cross-border travel, Malaysia’s government is also taking concrete steps for the safety of its citizens. 

“Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has promised assembly of a special committee on request for daily travel under the Daily Commuting Arrangement initiative,” Hasni said in an interview.

With the implementation of the travel schemes, the government is confident of restoring the situation affecting more than 300,000 Malaysian affected by the border closure. The move has been welcomed by Malaysian citizens, as indicated by the increase in the number of people utilizing the lift in travel restrictions now.

“Johor is happy with the cross-border travel schemes. Implementing these measures was the right decision,” said Mr Hasni.

The main beneficiaries of this scheme, the Malaysian locals, can travel to Singapore by booking an online bus ticket safely and carry on with their routine work.