VTLs have brought almost 100,000 migrants into Singapore from Malaysia

[ASEAN NOW Content Team]

 

A quarantine-free travel scheme that began on November 29 brought about 100,000 individuals into Singapore from Malaysia.

About 55,000 individuals entered over the Causeway using the land vaccinated travel lane (VTL), while about 44,000 people entered via the VTL for Malaysian air travellers.

According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), roughly 43,000 land VTL travellers had entered since the programme was enlarged on December 20.
The extension allowed Singaporeans to travel to Malaysia and Malaysians to travel to Singapore.

 

MTI will temporarily cut land VTL capacity and ticket sales by 50% starting Friday, according to a spokesman, as planned last month.

"We will continue to closely monitor the situation and adapt the VTL (land) capacity as needed, taking into account the public health situation in both nations and globally," she said.

Due to worries about the spread of the Covid-19 Omicron strain, the number of people authorised to cross the Causeway has been temporarily decreased.
As a result of the move, a maximum of 48 buses will ferry around 2,000 passengers between Singapore and Malaysia every day.

 

All air VTLs were subjected to a similar capacity reduction, as well as tighter testing requirements.

Even before the quota cuts, Transtar Travel and Causeway Link, the two designated bus operators for the land VTL, claimed strong sales.

Since then, the competition for tickets has intensified, with all tickets for the land VTL sold out till February 28.

Malaysian Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong stated earlier this month that both countries will re-evaluate current hazards before determining whether or not to proceed with the 50% quota reduction.

 

Meanwhile, Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority reported that 44,056 people entered Singapore from Malaysia via the air VTL between the two countries between November 29 and Tuesday.

There are 19,645 short-term visitors and long-term pass holders among the passengers, 21,661 Singapore nationals and permanent residents among the passengers, and 2,750 minors aged 12 and under among the passengers.