Motorcyclists entering Singapore via the Tuas Second Link have been able to clear immigration faster since the start of a new route diversion in May.
Implemented every weekday morning between the peak hours of 5am and 9am, the diversion allows some arriving motorcyclists to use automated lanes at the departure zone to clear immigration.
Motorcyclists told CNA that they can now clear immigration up to 25 minutes faster when it would have taken them a total of 30 minutes to an hour in the past.
The conversion of some departure lanes during peak morning hours increases the automated clearance capacity for arriving motorcycles by 75 percent, from 40 automated lanes to 70 in total.
Currently, about 22,000 motorcyclists enter Singapore through Tuas Checkpoint every weekday morning during the peak period.
A total of about 68,000 motorcyclists use Tuas Checkpoint to enter or exit Singapore each weekday. This is more than half the 123,000 travellers who use the checkpoint every weekday.
It is also an increase from pre-pandemic levels, when more than 65,000 motorcyclists used Tuas Checkpoint daily.
Dubbed “Operation Sunrise”, the route diversion was implemented at Tuas Checkpoint after a trial period from March to May.
CNA observed the tightly choreographed operation during a media visit facilitated by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Wednesday (Aug 16).
By moving water-filled barriers, ICA officers divert waves of motorcyclists onto the alternative route to the departure zone whenever there is a build-up of traffic on the lanes into Singapore.
After clearing immigration in the departure zone, the motorcyclists exit Tuas Checkpoint onto the Ayer Rajah Expressway, merging into the flow of traffic following the usual route.Aside from reducing clearance time for motorcyclists, the diversion has also reduced instances of motorcycle queues ballooning along the Tuas Second Link, ICA said in a media statement.
CNA
