Packed bays, stalled trade: JB businesses suffer as Singapore-bound workers hog city parking from dawn to night
JOHOR BARU, June 20 – Parking woes in downtown Johor Baru have reportedly been made worse by Malaysians working in Singapore, who leave their vehicles in public bays before heading across the Causeway.
The Straits Times reported that businesses such as kopitiams and sundry shops have struggled to retain customers who are unable to find parking, while enforcement officers regularly tow away vehicles parked illegally on the roadside.
'A task force has been set up to study the issue involving the two city councils,' state housing and local government exco Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor was quoted saying, referring to Johor Baru and Iskandar Puteri, in response to rise in complaints from residents and business owners about the matter.
'We are closely monitoring this issue that has been raised by fellow state assemblypersons and the local business community... where motorists hog parking bays all day till late at night, causing disruption to local businesses here as customers cannot find a lot to park their vehicles.'
Local authorities have so far considered measures including parking time limits and increasing parking bays, along with collaborations with bus operators to reduce congestion.
With over 350,000 people crossing the border daily, transit points such as Skudai and downtown Johor Baru often see full car parks, sometimes occupied by workers in rotating shifts.
ST reported that even private parking lots are packed, with 80 per cent of lots near Galleria Kotaraya taken by Singapore-bound workers.
Businesses can pay RM150 monthly to reserve customer spots — but other drivers still violate these spots.
This has caused businesses to resort to 'reserving' spaces with their personal vehicles to carry out their trade, citing the impossibility of working without them.
ST cited experts pointing to poor urban planning, car dependence, and lack of last-mile connectivity between housing areas and cross-border transit points as root causes.
Low parking fees were also to blame: parking in the city costs as little as 40 sen per 30 minutes, while full-day passes are just RM6, and private bays priced at up to RM20 per day.
Long-term solutions include a RM2.6 billion development near Bukit Chagar RTS station with a 1,550-lot park-and-ride facility, and a proposed light rail system linking townships to the cross-border train service set for 2027.
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