Picket by factory bus operators at Causeway unreasonable - SPAD

The action by factory bus operators in staging a picket and refusing to enter Singapore because of rising cost due to increase in toll rate is unreasonable and only burden the people, Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Syed Jaafar Albar said.

He said they should first discuss with companies using their service before resorting to such an action.

"They left the passengers at the Causeway, who then had to walk to Singapore. This is not the way to solve problems," he told Bernama when contacted today.

He said this in response to the action by factory bus operators early this morning, causing a few hours of massive traffic jam at the Johor Causeway.

It is learnt that about 200 factory workers had to walk across the causeway due to the action of the factory bus operators concerned in refusing to enter Singapore.

Syed Hamid also said SPAD would investigate whether the action by the factory bus operators had breached regulations under the Land Public Transport Act.

On the increase in toll rate, effective today at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex at the Sultan Iskandar Building, he said the government had studied various aspects before doing so.

The Singapore government has also increased the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) on foreign-registered vehicles entering the republic to S$35 (RM90) per day, from S$20 (RM51) per day, effective today, while the Goods Vehicle Permit (GVP) for foreign-registered goods vehicles is $40 (RM103), from S$10 (RM26) per calendar month.