Singapore drivers flock to JB’s 2 new VEP centres as deadline looms, but tag installation ‘fast, organised’

JOHOR BAHRU: Singaporean Danish Mohd Sami grinned widely and gave a thumbs-up as he posed for photos after finally getting his radio frequency identification (RFID) tag fitted on his car at the Road Transport Department (JPJ) complex in Taman Daya, Johor Bahru on Thursday (Sep 26) morning.  

The tag installation marked the completion of his process of securing a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) for his car - a journey which started two months ago when he first submitted his application online.

“I am really happy to get this done. The process has been mixed, at first they were slow in approving the paperwork but today the fitting of RFID is very smooth,” said Mr Danish.

“The JPJ officers have been good, and (the process has) been really fast."

Mr Danish arrived at the JPJ complex at around 5.30am on Thursday even though the centre started processing cars for VEP at only around 9am. The entire process took him around 20 minutes. 

“I wanted to be early, it’s more relaxed that way - have breakfast nearby and be (among) the first to get this done,” said the man, who is in his 30s. 

Mr Danish added that he wanted to complete the VEP installation process before Oct 1 so that he would have peace of mind whenever he crosses the Causeway in the next few months. 

He was among hundreds of Singapore drivers who were at the two new VEP tag centres in Johor Bahru on Thursday. 

In a statement on Sep 19, JPJ said that the two new locations - one in Taman Daya and the other in Larkin - would commence operations on Sep 23. The complexes would boost Malaysia’s capacity to process the installation of RFID tags by five times to 1,500 a day. 

The boosted capacity is welcome as Singapore drivers scrambled to have their RFID tags installed ahead of the Oct 1 deadline. 

The drivers told CNA that they had logged on to the VEP portal and selected the dates to come to the new centres while others said they were directed from the one in Danga Bay.

In May, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that all foreign-registered vehicles entering the country by land from Singapore would be required to use VEPs from Oct 1.

The VEP system had been in place since 2019 but has yet to be enforced, Mr Loke had said then. 

Motorists who fail to do so may be fined up to RM2,000 (US$484) or jailed for up to six months.

DRIVERS MOSTLY QUEUE IN CARS, PROCESS COULD TAKE UP TO AN HOUR 

There were long queues of cars at both the Taman Daya and Larkin complexes when CNA visited on Thursday morning. 

Both these complexes only accepted drivers with scheduled appointments for the day. 

In Taman Daya, drivers entering the complex were instructed to head towards an open-air car park area where there were four lanes for cars to queue from. The complex is a 30-minute drive from the Causeway. 

At the front of the queue, drivers would then need to park their vehicle and head towards a counter to submit their documents for verification before the RFID tag can be fitted on their windshield.

There were roughly 60 cars in line when CNA was there at 9.30am. 

Drivers who spoke to CNA said that the entire process of queueing and getting the tag fitted took roughly between 20 and 30 minutes.  

Among them was Mr Peter Fok, who told CNA that it took him around half an hour to get his tag fitted.  

“It’s pretty organised, booking and payment were already done online and I’m relieved to get this one over the line,” said Mr Fok, as an RFID tag was being fitted on his Tesla. 

However, he was concerned because he owns two cars and that his second vehicle’s VEP registration had not been completed. 

“I’m having issues processing the documents and it has been difficult. But at least I have done one car first,” he told CNA. 

A JPJ officer in charge of operations in Taman Daya told CNA that drivers with no appointment for tag installation would be turned away. 

“We would ask them to U-turn back because we are only processing cars with appointments, our limit is 600 installations per day and we have to keep to this schedule,” he said. 

“We urge drivers to complete their payment before coming as well, if not you might delay the process as you will need to make payment at the counter first,” the official added. 

Over at the Larkin complex, the situation was slightly more disordered as there was only one queue for cars to enter. 

When CNA visited at around 11am on Thursday, there were roughly 40 cars in line with the queue stretching back more than 200 metres on a busy two-lane road along Jalan Kebun Teh Lama. 

Two JPJ officers were present to direct traffic to prevent bottlenecks. 

Drivers told CNA that the processing time in Larkin took between 45 minutes to an hour. 

Mr David Sam told CNA that his appointment had been scheduled for Danga Bay - Johor’s first VEP centre which is operated by vendor company TCSens. However, when he arrived at the Danga Bay centre at 8.30am, officers there directed him to head towards the complex in Larkin instead. 

“It is what it is, we just have to get this thing done before Oct 1,” said Mr Sam, who acknowledged that he was frustrated by the last minute change in venue. 

In normal traffic, it takes roughly 10 minutes to get from Danga Bay to Larkin. 

Another driver who wanted to be identified only as Mr Ahmad told CNA that his installation was also redirected from Danga Bay to Larkin. 

“It's frustrating but there’s no need to get angry, these officers are just doing their job,” he told CNA. 

Mr Alvin Oh, who owns an events company in Singapore, told CNA that it took him an hour to queue and enter the complex in Larkin. This does not include the time needed for document verification at the counter and tag installation. 

“But I am relieved that I can get it done today before the deadline because I do visit JB quite often,” said Mr Oh, who crosses the Causeway fortnightly for shopping and groceries. 

HOW WILL THE VEP BE ENFORCED?

Mr Fok, who was at the Taman Daya complex, raised concerns as he owns two cars, and that his second vehicle’s registration was not yet completed. 

Mr Fok told CNA that he was unsure whether it would be legal for him to drive his second vehicle across the border to get the RFID tag installation done in Johor Bahru after Oct 1. This is even if he were to complete the registration process and secure an appointment for the installation. 

According to JPJ’s statement issued last week, it is considered an offence if any person drives a foreign car without a VEP before entering or being in Malaysia, from Oct 1 onwards. 

The JPJ officer in charge of operations in Taman Daya told CNA that the department was still waiting for final confirmation from the Ministry of Transport on enforcement details for VEP. 

“From what we understand, first-time offenders will likely be issued warning letters. But we are still waiting for the ministry to confirm the details,” said the officer who declined to be named.

CNA has contacted the Ministry of Transport and JPJ’s media department on what enforcement will be put in place from Oct 1 onwards as well as if there will be any exceptions given to drivers who have scheduled appointments for their tags to be installed in VEP centres in Johor Bahru. 

Since Sep 12, motorists have also been able to collect their tags from the VEP information counter in Singapore’s Woodlands. The manager of the Woodlands office had previously told CNA that they are able to handle 100 enquiries each day.

And due to demand from Singapore motorists, the office - which opened as an enquiry centre - has obtained permission from Malaysian authorities to conduct the VEP tag installation there with plans to do “100 to 150 a day” at least “once everything is going well”, its manager said.  

Automotive expert Muhd Raden Anwar, who is also chief executive of one of Malaysia’s biggest car rental players Wahdah, told CNA that he believed the enforcement for VEP by Malaysian authorities will likely be done in stages.

He posited that ultimately, RFID sensors might be installed at the toll booths as vehicles entered Johor Bahru from Singapore, and that the current option to tap TouchNGo cards could be removed. 

“This initiative is to create accountability and shared responsibility for Singapore drivers when they drive on Malaysia roads,” said Mr Muhd Raden, adding that VEP would enable Malaysia authorities to better track foreign cars who commit traffic offences. 

However, he acknowledged that the VEP was also a way for the Malaysia government to boost its coffers and that the toll charges for Singapore cars entering Johor could soon be increased.

“It’s also a business decision and the government is looking to boost its revenue streams,” he added. 

Mr Muhd Raden added that Wahdah is expecting an increase in bookings post Oct 1 as it looks to increase its market share to drivers who have not managed to secure their VEP. It currently has around 40,000 active customers from Singapore, around 40 per cent of its total customer base. 

To this end, Wahdah will be offering shuttle services for its customers between Singapore and Johor Bahru thrice a day so that they can travel smoothly and use their rental car immediately once they cross the border. 

“We have read the trend and there’s already numerous requests for this, so we are offering a licensed commercial transport for our customers convenience,” he added.