JOHOR BAHRU: When I was a kid in the 1990s, there was a bittersweet anticipation when we drove across the Causeway in the back of our family car.
In one sense, it was a road trip for vacation, stopping along the spotless beaches of Terengganu, the refreshing highlands of the Klang Valley, or even just Johor Bahru for a day trip and some dining and shopping. However, there was also the fear of enduring four hours of nonstop traffic while fervently praying there were no last-minute trips to the restrooms.
As a journalist, I have covered nearly all types of causeway crossings, each with unique issues. As the immigration lanes clear, thousands of motorbike riders wait amid the exhaust fumes and honking noise. This stuffy situation is referred to by Causeway bikers as “kandang kerbau,” or cattle pen.Pedestrians who choose to walk the 1.05 km bridge run the risk of getting hurt. In some regions of the Malaysian side, there is no walkway, so they have to avoid fast cars, cargo trucks, and motorcycles. They claimed that risking this was preferable to being late for work and stuck in buses.
Also Read:
Businesses by the Sea Fear three-Month Closures; Some are Barely Surviving.
The Doctors’ strike in South Korea is a Medical Drama Devoid of Heroes.
