It is certainly a conundrum for Singaporeans who wish to visit Malaysia for affordable food and groceries, but at the same time fear the long hours of hectic traffic jams to cross the Causeway during public holidays.
However, a Singaporean introduced an alternative route to Johor for her fellow islanders, allowing them to avoid the painful traffic jams at the Causeway.
The Singaporean, known by the account name ‘munzpewpew‘ on TikTok, shared a video introducing an alternative mode of transportation to Johor by taking a ferry.
The video started at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, where she collected her tickets to Johor from the ferry service provider “Batam Fast.”
The ferry she boarded appeared to be had few passengers, and there was plenty of empty space onboard.
The video also mentioned that Grab was not available in the area. Therefore, upon arriving at Tanjung Pengelih, they booked a private car for their one-day trip to Pangerang.
They visited some famous local stores to grab local goodies, had lunch at a seafood restaurant, and later enjoyed coffee at a cozy cafe.
At 4 pm, the TikToker caught the ferry to head back to Singapore.
@munzpewpew Tried something new – took a ferry to Johor! #johor #malaysia #ferry #seafood #cafe #yardandco #tanjungpengelih #pengerang
The ferry operates from Friday to Saturday
After checking the official website of Batam Fast, it was found that the company currently provides ferry services from Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Pengelih.
The ferry operates from Friday to Saturday at 8:50 am and 5:40 pm. The boat ride took around 45 minutes.
For the return journey from Tanjung Pengelih to Singapore, the ferries run from Saturday to Monday at 7:30 am and from Friday to Sunday at 4:00 pm.
The approximate cost for a round-trip ticket for an adult is about S$73.
commented on munzpewpew’s TikTok video, acknowledging that the ferry ride could serve as an alternative to the Causeway, but they emphasized the importance of considering the ferry service schedule.
Additionally, concerns were raised about the expensive charges involved in booking a private car for visiting Pangerang.
In response to a question, the TikToker stated that the cost of a private car ride to three places was RM100 (approximately S$28.92), and the drivers even provided transportation back to the ferry terminal. According to the TikToker, the driver charges twice for reaching Johor Bahru.
KTM train to JB from Woodlands for S$5 per trip
In contrast, one comment suggested that the ferry ride might still be inconvenient, and proposed taking the train as an alternative, which costs only S$5 for a single trip.
In fact, there are several alternative transportation options for traveling from Singapore to JB.
One option is taking a bus, such as bus 950 from the Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange, which goes to Woodlands Checkpoint.
Alternatively, you can take buses 160, 170, 170X, or Causeway Link CW1 from Kranji MRT station for a direct service to Woodlands Checkpoint. The bus fares for these options are quite affordable, typically under $3.
Another ferry service to Desaru, Johor is scheduled to commence on 7 July
Batam Fast also started selling tickets for their ferry service between Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore and Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal in Johor, with a return ticket priced at S$118 and a one-way ticket at $70.
The service will commence on 7 July, with departures from Singapore at 8:30 am and from Desaru at 5:30 pm, and the journey duration is approximately 90 minutes.
Additionally, from 7 July to 6 Oct, they are offering a discounted price of $98 for a return ticket when booked through their website and social media pages.
