Over 1,000 customs officers on duty at Johor land checkpoints during Hari Raya festive period

Johor land checkpoints fully operational during Hari Raya

In the lead-up to Hari Raya Aidilfitri, more than 1,000 customs officers will be on duty at the land checkpoints in Johor.

A slew of other initiatives will also be implemented to prevent traffic congestion.

During the festive period, the Johor Immigration Department anticipates a rise in travellers compared to the previous year, The Star reported.

Contra lanes and counters will be activated to combat traffic congestion

Johor’s two land checkpoints at the Causeway and Second Link will be fully operational starting this weekend.

To control traffic volume, Johor executive councillor, Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh, stressed that “all vehicle lanes and manual counters will be activated on [their] side”.

Depending on the direction of congestion, contra-flow lanes would also be activated.

Additionally, Bernama noted that more counters will be opened for both manual and auto lanes.

At the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) bus terminal, there will be 10 additional manually operated contra counters and six extra auto contra lanes.

Also in service are 12 counters at the car zone and 12 hybrid counters at the motorcycle lanes.

The activation of contra lanes and counters will be announced 30 minutes prior, Malay Mail reported.

These will be activated based on traffic volume and the traffic flow situation.

The measures will be executed at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) of the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB).

Traffic updates will also be shared on the department’s social media platforms.

Expected rise in travellers compared to previous years

Citing Johor Immigration Department director Baharuddin Tahir, Malay Mail highlighted that 357,265 travellers entered Johor through BSI and KSAB in 2023 during the Hari Raya period.

This spanned from the eve of Hari Raya to the second day.

This year, the Johor checkpoints hit a record of 414,158,834 visitors from January to March.

Based on the climbing figures, the number of travellers during the upcoming festive period is expected to surpass that of previous years.

A Quick Response Team (QRT) will be deployed to manage locations grappling with heavy traffic. 12 QRT personnel will be situated at BSI while 20 will be at KSAB.

Also read: Woman from S’pore claims JB checkpoint officers led them to lorry lane & demanded RM600 ‘fine’

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Featured image adapted from The Star and Business Today.