SINGAPORE: Bus travellers departing Singapore for Malaysia via the Woodlands Checkpoint can expect longer wait times due to ongoing upgrading works at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar in Johor Bahru.
“Some of the automated clearance lanes at the bus halls are undergoing replacement and installation works, and will not be operational from Oct 16 until Nov 10,” said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Wednesday (Oct 19).
The Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Immigration Office said in a Facebook post that autogates that are not involved in the upgrading works will operate as usual for arriving Malaysian citizens.
It did not specify how many automated clearance lanes will be available.
Manual counters 1 to 4 will only process arriving Malaysian citizens while counter 5 has been set aside for senior citizens, those with disabilities, pregnant women as well as Malaysian permanent residents.
The remaining counters, from 6 to 18, are for all passports, said the immigration office.
DEEPAVALI LONG WEEKEND
ICA also cautioned travellers to expect delays over the upcoming long weekend, with the Deepavali public holiday falling on Monday.
Travellers were advised to adjust their travel plans, where possible, to avoid being caught in traffic congestion.
“We seek travellers’ understanding and cooperation to be patient, observe traffic rules, maintain lane discipline, and cooperate with officers on-site when using the land checkpoints.”
At the peak of the Deepavali long weekend in 2019, ICA said travellers departing and arriving by car via the land checkpoints had to wait up to two hours before they were cleared through immigration.
ICA added that traffic flow through both land checkpoints has also returned to about 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
About 325,000 individuals travelled through both checkpoints each day over the recent weekend, said the authority, adding that the volume reached pre-COVID levels during peak periods.
Travellers are advised to factor in additional time for immigration clearance and avoid the following peak hours:
Departing Singapore
- Friday (Oct 21), 3pm to 11.59pm
- Saturday (Oct 22), 6am to 10am, 6pm to 11.59pm
Arriving in Singapore
- Monday (Oct 24), 6pm to 11.59pm
ICA said that it will take the necessary measures to facilitate immigration clearance without compromising security, adding that checkpoint officers monitor traffic conditions in real-time to ensure optimal deployment of resources.
“We also work with the Traffic Police to ensure road discipline at the critical junctions leading to the land checkpoints.”
ICA also advised motorists to check the traffic situation at the land checkpoints through the Land Transport Authority’s One Motoring website or via the Expressway Monitoring & Advisory System (EMAS) installed along the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) and Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) respectively.
Motorists can also get updates on the traffic situation at both land checkpoints through ICA’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.