JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Passengers travelling on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link can still use their regular passports for immigration clearance, while QR codes are available as an alternative through the digital system.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the use of QR codes was not the only clearance method available to travellers at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at the RTS Link Bukit Chagar.
“Regular passports can also be used. So, the QR code is an option available to travellers, but they can also use their regular passports,” he told reporters after a media visit to the RTS Link project at the RTS Link Bukit Chagar Station here today.
He said standard operating procedures (SOPs) related to border control, including measures to be taken in the event of a disruption to the digital system, were under the jurisdiction of the Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) and the Immigration Department.
Earlier, Loke was asked about the contingency plan should the QR code-based clearance system experience a disruption, given that the RTS Link facility is expected to make extensive use of digital systems.
Meanwhile, AKPS director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Suhaily Mohd Zain said a total of 640 officers and personnel from the agency would be stationed at the CIQ Complex at Bukit Chagar.
He said the manpower was sufficient to handle any situation, including disruptions to the e-gate system.
“Manpower is always there to mitigate that kind of circumstance (e-gate system disruption). Since this place is close to BSI, assistance may also arrive quickly,” he said.
He said more than 400 of the 640 AKPS officers and personnel currently undergoing training at the Police Training Centre (PULAPOL) in Segamat would report for duty at the station from October.
He said they would then undergo an orientation and simulation programme until December, including familiarisation with passenger flows, train operations and the reliability of scanning machines, in preparation for the RTS Link’s scheduled commencement of operations in early 2027.
“We need to get to know the system, buildings and the flow of passengers. Everyone is aware that the estimate is about 10,000 people an hour. So, on our part, we need to be ready,” he said.
-- BERNAMA