Illegal Parking Along Road Near JB Checkpoint Disrupts Businesses, Authorities Tow Cars Away

Illegal Parking Reported Outside Shops Near JB Checkpoint

Since the reopening of the Johor Bahru (JB) checkpoint, it’s been much easier for people to travel between Singapore and Johor.

However, some drivers apparently resort to parking along the road near the checkpoint, affecting the nearby shops.

Malaysian authorities have since taken action and towed the illegally parked cars away.

Most of the vehicles reportedly belong to Malaysians who park their cars there for long hours as they make their way over to Singapore for work.

Illegal parking reported near JB checkpoint

According to China Press, the parking lots in the commercial areas and storefronts along Jalan Lumba Kuda in JB’s Bukit Chagar area are constantly occupied by vehicles.

As such, there is a shortage of parking spaces, severely disrupting businesses in the neighbourhood.

Furthermore, there are also cases of vehicles parked indiscriminately near the JB checkpoint, attracting the attention of the authorities.

Some Facebook users shared that authorities recently launched a mass towing operation of illegally parked vehicles.

The law enforcement team of the Johor Bahru City Council has also been patrolling the city centre to crack down on illegal parking practices.

Illegally parked vehicles disrupting businesses

Speaking to China Press, some store owners revealed that there were also motorcycles occupying the parking lots.

They noted that this problem existed even before the reopening of the checkpoints, but worsened recently.

This was because the motorcycle parking lot beside the Sultan Iskandar building was closed in December last year, they explained.

Thus, motorists flocked to the commercial district along Jalan Lumba Kuda to park there instead.

China Press states that most of these vehicles belong to Malaysians who cross the Causeway to go to work in Singapore.

Apparently, after parking their vehicles in front of the shops in the early hours of the morning, they would walk to the JB checkpoint to clear customs.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of parking spaces, the store owners received multiple complaints from customers.

As customers were unable to find parking lots, they decided to patronise other shops.

Hence, the store owners hope that the authorities will consider building more multi-storey car parks or introducing more feeder bus services in the area.

To alleviate the issue, some store owners rented units and launched a ticketing system to charge motorcyclists who wanted to park there.

Authorities tow illegally parked cars away

The mayor of the Johor Bahru City Council has also warned travellers against parking outside the shops. This is to ensure that businesses won’t be affected.

In an interview with China Press, he stated that authorities would tow away illegally parked vehicles.

There are many parking lots near the checkpoint that can accommodate more vehicles, he added.

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Featured image adapted from China Press.