SINGAPORE — Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) is reviewing a request from Malaysia to begin cross-border bus services from Johor Bahru an hour earlier.

LTA confirmed it received the request from Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency on June 17, The Sunday Times reported today.

“We are working with our bus operators to review the request,” the LTA was quoted as telling the Singapore news agency.

The request is being considered together with public bus operators SBS Transit (SBST) and SMRT, along with some private bus operators.

Previously, The Star reported that Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency and the LTA to be in talks to start the services at 4am instead of 5am.

The Star cited Johor Works, Transportation, Infrastructure and Communication Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh saying the aim is to ease early-morning congestion.

SBST’s bus service number 160 currently runs from the checkpoint, with the first trip at 5am on weekdays and 5.50am on weekends or public holidays.

It also runs bus service number 170 from Larkin Terminal in Johor Bahru to Queen Street Terminal near Jalan Besar, with weekday departures beginning at 5.20am and weekend or holiday departures at 5.30am.