As the Hari Raya Puasa weekend draws close, many people will cross the borders into and out of Singapore, as they often do during public holidays.
Whether it’s for visiting or shopping, we can expect to see more commuters shuttling between Singapore and Malaysia by land within the next few days.
In anticipation of the crowds, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore has issued an advisory regarding the expected traffic conditions at the causeways for the coming holiday. Unsurprisingly, they warn of heavy traffic and roughly three hours of waiting time.
In a press release published on Tuesday (18 Apr), the ICA shared that peak period traffic flow through the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints has more or less returned to pre-pandemic levels.
In 2018, the Hari Raya Puasa holidays saw over 1.5 million travellers crossing the land checkpoints. Each day, the checkpoints averaged about 380,000 crossings.
The waiting time to clear customs for those departing Singapore by car was apparently up to three hours.
Source: Google Maps
Continuous tailbacks from Malaysia’s checkpoints also resulted in queues extending past the Seletar Expressway (SLE) for Woodlands Checkpoint and along the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) for Tuas Checkpoint.
This year, the ICA expects similar traffic and waiting times.
Since Hari Raya Puasa falls on Saturday (22 Apr), checkpoint traffic is likely to be heavy between Thursday (20 Apr) and Monday (24 Apr).
The ICA thus advised those who wish to enter or leave Singapore via the land checkpoints to factor in additional waiting time to clear immigration.
Commuters may check the traffic situation through the One Motoring website or the Expressway Monitoring & Advisory System (EMAS) along the BKE and AYE.
Real-time traffic updates will be available on ICA’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. Local radio broadcasts on the following channels will also provide regular traffic updates:
Source: Google Maps
To ease human traffic, Singaporeans and Malaysians travelling by bus are reminded that they can clear immigration via automated lanes at the passenger halls.
These lanes help to make the immigration process faster and smoother. Eligible travellers do not need to register separately to use the automated lanes.
As for motorists, the ICA urged them to refrain from queue-cutting to avoid worsening congestion and endangering others. ICA and traffic police officers will reportedly be onsite to ensure strict adherence to traffic rules.
If you are entering Malaysia in a Singapore-registered car, remember to fill your fuel tank up to at least three-quarters of its capacity.
Otherwise, the authorities will not permit you to enter Malaysia. Offenders may consequently face prosecution or a fine.
As much as we’re all looking forward to the coming holidays, we should still prioritise safety. We should also do our part to make commutes easy for everyone.
Be patient and observe traffic rules at the land checkpoints, so that everyone can enjoy their holidays safely.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps.
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