Singapore is not the cause of heavy congestion at its two land checkpoints with Malaysia during long weekends or holiday seasons, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Friday (Sep 29).
On occasions, severe traffic tailback of cars entering Malaysia stretched from both of Malaysia’s checkpoints to Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, affecting waiting time and clearance at the Singapore side, added ICA in a media statement.
The agency was responding to media queries on comments by Malaysians that heavy congestion at land checkpoints during such peak periods is generally caused by Singapore. It said that such comments are “inaccurate”.
ICA also cautioned that it “cannot compromise security for speed”, adding that it will continue to look at how to improve travellers’ experience and work closely with its Malaysian counterparts to improve traffic conditions.
Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints are among the busiest land crossings in the world. ICA said about 270,000 travellers pass through Woodlands Checkpoint daily and cross the Causeway to Johor Bahru.
Congestion at the land borders has been a long-standing issue, with members of the public often taking to social media to complain about long waiting times to clear immigration due to traffic snarls and crowds during peak periods.
In April, Johor’s chief minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi told CNA that the efficiency level on the Malaysian side of the Causeway must be raised to 100 percent by 2023 to alleviate congestion. He also outlined manpower and technical problems as issues that authorities must overcome.
-CNA
