Singapore-Malaysia land VTL to start on 29 Nov, initial daily quota of 2,900 travellers
SINGAPORE — The long-awaited land vaccinated travel lane (VTL) between Singapore and Malaysia will launch next Monday (29 November), with travellers crossing via the Causeway on designated VTL buses.
Travellers must be citizens, permanent residents or long-term pass holders of the country they are entering, said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Wednesday. This is to give priority to those who have been working in either country to visit their families.
The first phase of the land VTL will see a total daily quota of about 2,900 travellers, with 1,440 passengers crossing each way. It will launch on the same day that a joint air VTL for travel between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) takes off.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the land VTL is a "big step" towards reconnecting the people and economies of both countries. The scheme will be progressively expanded to include general travellers, taking into account the public health situation.
Authorities will also work towards restoring travel through Tuas Second Link.
32 bus services per day
32 designated bus services will enter each country per day, with a maximum capacity of 45 "fully seated" passengers per trip. Transtar Travel will operate 32 daily designated trips – 16 from Malaysia and 16 trips from Singapore – between Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange in the city-state and Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal in Johor Bahru.
Handal Indah – also known as Causeway Link – will similarly operate 32 daily trips between Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal and Queen Street Terminal in Singapore.
Bus tickets will go on sale from 8am on Thursday, and tickets will be released for sale 30 days ahead. Travellers must purchase their bus tickets at least three days prior to the date of departure.
All travellers must submit the SG Arrival Card with the Electronic Health Declaration via the ICA website or through the SG Arrival Card mobile application, which can be downloaded for free, three calendar days prior to their arrival in Singapore.
Those who arrive in Singapore via other means will be subjected to prevailing border control measures, which include serving a seven-day stay-home notice, said PMO.
Malaysia has yet to announce entry requirements for travellers via the land VTL.
Travel history, PCR test
Those entering the city-state must be fully vaccinated and must have remained in Malaysia or any other VTL or Category I country or region in the last 14 consecutive days before arrival.
Within two calendar days before departure travellers must also test negative in a valid pre-departure COVID-19 antigen rapid test (ART) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. These tests must be taken at a laboratory or centre that is accredited or recognised by Malaysia's Ministry of Health.
Children aged two and below in the calendar year are not required to undergo these tests. Unvaccinated children aged 12 and below must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult.
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