Many people in Singapore will drive to Malaysia during the Chinese New Year holidays, either to celebrate with relatives or just to take advantage of the break.
Immigration Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has warned that traffic is expected to be heavy between 25-28 Jan, reported Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
According to CNA, ICA cleared a whopping 475,000 travellers on the Friday before Christmas in 2019.
This is around 60,000 more than their daily average of 415,000 travellers.
For the upcoming festive season, delays are expected since there will be security checks on top of the higher-than-average number of travellers. ICA said that “traffic build-up is inevitable”.
Traffic departing from Singapore is anticipated to be heavy from 17-28 Jan.
Meanwhile, arrival traffic to Malaysia during 25-28 Jan is expected to be slow too.
In light of the festive season, it’s safe to assume that crossing the checkpoints will take a few hours.
To avoid any delays in your travel plans, it will be wise to factor in extra time for travelling. You can also check OneMotoring to check out the traffic conditions before you leave the house.
Most importantly, remember to visit the bathroom before you head for the checkpoints. You wouldn’t want to be stuck in a jam with nowhere to run to.
ICA also reminded travellers to ensure that their passports have a validity of at least 6 months.
Prohibited and controlled items like bak kwa and eggs, as well as firecrackers, cannot be brought across the checkpoints.
Those who bring such items in should “proactively make declarations to… officers prior to checks”.
While we might be in a hurry to get to our destinations, we should not forget to be gracious.
Don’t cut the queues during the peak periods and be courteous to the officers who are working during the public holidays.
MS News wishes everyone a Happy Chinese New Year in advance.
Featured image adapted from Twitter.
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