As the Deepavali weekend approaches, many in Singapore have already made plans to visit neighbouring Malaysia for a quick getaway. But if recent scenes across the Causeway is anything to go by, it’d be wise for travellers to brace themselves for a long wait at the land checkpoints.
The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has also issued an advisory warning of heavy traffic over the Deepavali long weekend.
Travellers are also advised to expect delays and urged to adjust their plans accordingly to avoid being caught in traffic congestion.
In their advisory posted on Wednesday (19 Oct), ICA said that traffic flow through Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints has returned to 80% of pre-pandemic levels.
Over the last weekend from 14 Oct to 16 Oct, about 325,000 travellers had apparently passed through both land checkpoints each day.
Source: Ho Kim Chong on Facebook. Taken on 10 Sep.
Peak period traffic volume has even reached pre-Covid levels, they noted.
During the peak of the Deepavali long weekend in 2019, those travelling by car apparently had to wait up to two hours before clearing immigration.
Thus, ICA advised travellers to anticipate delays and plan ahead to avoid getting stuck in traffic.
ICA has also identified peak periods from 21 Oct to 24 Oct which travellers should avoid:
Source: ICA
Travellers should also allow extra time for immigration clearance, they noted.
For those planning to leave through Woodlands Checkpoint, ICA reminded that there are ongoing renovations at the bus halls of Bangunan Sultan Iskandar.
Some automated clearance lanes at the bus halls are also undergoing replacement and will not be operational from 16 Oct to 10 Nov.
Motorists are advised to monitor the traffic situation at the checkpoints using via Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) One Motoring website or the Expressway Monitoring & Advisory System (EMAS) installed along BKE and AYE.
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Featured image adapted from Kokkai Ng on Flickr.
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