Johor Baru’s city center is grappling with a parking crisis exacerbated by cross-border commuters who leave their cars in public spaces for extended periods while working in Singapore. Local businesses, particularly eateries and retail shops, report declining foot traffic as customers struggle to find parking spots, forcing authorities to implement frequent towing operations against illegally parked vehicles. The situation has become so severe that some shop owners are using their personal cars to block spaces for customers, highlighting the severity of the parking shortage.
State officials have formed a task force to address the growing complaints from residents and entrepreneurs, focusing on Johor Baru and Iskandar Puteri municipalities. Proposed solutions include implementing time-limited parking, expanding available bays, and improving public transport connectivity to reduce reliance on private vehicles. With approximately 350,000 daily border crossings, key transit areas like Skudai and downtown Johor Baru face constant parking congestion, particularly near popular departure points like Galleria Kotaraya, where 80% of spaces are occupied by Singapore-bound workers.
Urban planners attribute the crisis to multiple factors, including inadequate infrastructure planning, excessive car dependency, and insufficient last-mile transportation options between residential areas and border crossing points. The affordability of parking—just 40 sen per half-hour or RM6 for a full day in public lots—further encourages long-term parking, while private spaces charging up to RM20 daily remain oversubscribed. These systemic issues have created a perfect storm of parking scarcity that disrupts both commerce and daily life in the city center.
Looking ahead, Johor authorities are banking on major infrastructure projects to alleviate the problem, including a RM2.6 billion park-and-ride facility near the upcoming Bukit Chagar RTS station with 1,550 spaces. A complementary light rail system, expected by 2027, aims to improve connectivity between residential areas and cross-border transit hubs. Until these projects materialize, however, businesses and commuters will continue navigating the challenges of Johor Baru’s parking crunch, balancing economic needs with limited urban space.