MyFuelCost
Is a petrol run across the Causeway actually worth it?
On paper the gap is enormous. A litre of 95-octane in Singapore costs several times what a Malaysian driver pays, and the temptation to treat Johor as a filling station is obvious. Two rules exist precisely to blunt that, and understanding both is the difference between a sensible top-up and a wasted afternoon.
The first is Malaysian. RON95 is a subsidised product, funded to keep Malaysian household costs down, and foreign-registered vehicles are not allowed to buy it. A Singapore plate at a Malaysian pump is limited to RON97, RON100 or diesel. That already erases part of the headline saving, because RON97 sits well above the RM1.99 that eligible Malaysians pay for RON95. It is the right comparison to make, though — RON97 is the number that matters to you, so it is the one used throughout this page.
The second is Singaporean, and it is the one that really bites. Under Singapore Customs rules, a Singapore-registered vehicle leaving the country must have its fuel tank at least three-quarters full, and that is checked as you exit. Arrive at the checkpoint below the line and you risk a fine. The practical consequence is arithmetic: on a fifty-litre tank you are only ever able to buy about twelve or thirteen litres across the border, no matter how cheap they are. The saving is real, but it is a modest sum per trip rather than a full tank's worth.
Add the rest of the cost of crossing — the Vehicle Entry Permit and Road Charge, the Causeway or Second Link toll on both sides, and a queue that can run to hours on a Friday evening or a public holiday — and driving over purely to refuel rarely adds up. Where it does make sense is as a bonus on a trip you were already taking: a weekend in Johor Bahru, a run up to Melaka, a family visit. Fill the last quarter before you head home, and you have taken the saving without paying for it in time. If you are planning that kind of trip, the trip calculator will price the whole drive rather than just the tank.
Adakah perjalanan isi minyak menyeberangi Tambak Johor berbaloi?
Di atas kertas jurangnya sangat besar. Seliter 95-oktana di Singapura berharga beberapa kali ganda daripada yang dibayar pemandu Malaysia, dan godaan untuk menganggap Johor sebagai stesen minyak adalah jelas. Dua peraturan wujud khusus untuk mengurangkan itu, dan memahami kedua-duanya membezakan antara isi minyak yang munasabah dengan petang yang terbuang.
Yang pertama peraturan Malaysia. RON95 ialah produk bersubsidi, dibiayai untuk mengekalkan kos isi rumah Malaysia, dan kenderaan berdaftar asing tidak dibenarkan membelinya. Plat Singapura di pam Malaysia terhad kepada RON97, RON100 atau diesel. Ini sudah menghapuskan sebahagian penjimatan utama, kerana RON97 jauh lebih tinggi daripada RM1.99 yang dibayar rakyat Malaysia yang layak untuk RON95.
Yang kedua peraturan Singapura, dan inilah yang paling menggigit. Di bawah peraturan Kastam Singapura, kenderaan berdaftar Singapura yang keluar dari negara itu mesti mempunyai tangki minyak sekurang-kurangnya tiga suku penuh, dan ia diperiksa semasa anda keluar. Tiba di pusat pemeriksaan di bawah paras itu dan anda berisiko didenda. Kesan praktikalnya ialah kiraan mudah: pada tangki lima puluh liter, anda hanya mampu membeli kira-kira dua belas atau tiga belas liter di seberang sempadan, walau semurah mana pun ia.
Tambah kos lain menyeberang — Permit Kemasukan Kenderaan dan Caj Jalan, tol Tambak Johor atau Linkedua di kedua-dua belah, dan giliran yang boleh mencecah berjam-jam pada petang Jumaat atau cuti umum — dan memandu masuk semata-mata untuk mengisi minyak jarang berbaloi. Ia masuk akal sebagai bonus kepada perjalanan yang memang dirancang: hujung minggu di Johor Bahru, perjalanan ke Melaka, melawat keluarga. Isi suku terakhir sebelum pulang, dan anda mengambil penjimatan itu tanpa membayarnya dengan masa.