ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Immigration Department will soon be able to activate 12 contra lanes at the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) during peak hours for vehicles exiting Johor, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He said his ministry will deploy a vehicle equipped with cameras to the KSAB Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex next week as a short-term solution to addressing a technical challenge.
“The Johor government has requested the ministry facilitate the activation of 12 contra lanes for vehicles exiting Malaysia. This is to help cope with congestion at the Second Link, especially during peak hours.
“However, we face a technical challenge as there are no cameras to record the data of vehicles exiting Johor at the contra lanes.
“These data are necessary for the operation of the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) system.
“As a temporary solution, we will deploy a vehicle that is equipped with cameras that will capture the necessary information,” he said in a press conference after visiting KSAB CIQ here yesterday.
Loke said that the contra lanes, which allow motorists to use lanes meant for the opposite direction, could be activated at any time once the vehicle arrives next week.
“The equipment will be sent here next week and the Immigration Department can activate the contra lanes anytime there is a need to do so,” he said.Meanwhile, Johor works, transportation and infrastructure committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said that the state government is grateful for the ministry’s assistance in addressing the issue.
“We hope that the activation of the contra lanes could reduce congestion here,” he said.
