On a rainy Monday (17 Oct) morning, thousands of motorists travelling from Johor Bahru (JB) to Singapore were trapped in a massive jam along the Tuas Second Link.
Source: Facebook
Some of them were reportedly stuck in traffic for up to four hours before finally arriving in Singapore.
According to Oriental Daily, the heavy traffic was suspected to be caused by a technical problem at Singapore customs.
However, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has clarified that there were no technical faults that morning.
Since the break of dawn on 17 Oct, motorists have been taking to Facebook to share about massive jams along Tuas Second Link.
At 6.05am, the road was already packed with vehicles, and the estimated time needed to reach Singapore was 65 to 100 minutes.
By 7am, the duration had increased to 80 to 115 minutes.
Source: Facebook
As the morning went on, traffic got increasingly heavier. The estimated duration to travel to Singapore at 8am was between 105 and 160 minutes.
At about 9am, a netizen shared a video showing the traffic at a standstill. She said the vehicles had not moved since 7am.
Even at 10am, traffic was still extremely congested.
Source: One Motoring
A large number of motorcycles, cars, and heavy vehicles were seen on the road.
One Malaysian man, Mr Zou, had set off for Singapore at 5.50am on his motorcycle.
It took him three hours to successfully cross the Tuas Second Link.
Speaking to Oriental Daily, he claimed there were technical issues at the Singapore checkpoint, causing everyone to be stuck in long lines.
To make matters worse, it was also raining at that time. As a result, motorists were all trapped in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Mr Zou went on to share that his wife also took the Tuas Second Link to Singapore by car. She needed almost four hours to clear customs.
Another Malaysian worker shared that he started his journey to Singapore at 6.15am but only arrived at his workplace at 9.50am.
In a widely shared Facebook post, one man slammed Singapore’s fingerprint immigration clearance system as “low class and no good”.
In response to this, a netizen pointed out that it’s not that the system is broken.
It might be that there are so many Malaysians working in Singapore that even computers simply can’t handle it.
Source: Facebook
Another user urged people not to complain about either country’s system. He went on to say that with the huge crowds every day, technical errors are bound to happen.
Source: Facebook
Speaking to MS News, an ICA spokesperson said there were no technical errors on the morning of 17 Oct. The jam was likely due to the rain.
So, if you’re planning to travel between Singapore and JB, do check the One Motoring website for the traffic situation before embarking on your journey.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
Authorities had to use equipment to pry the vehicle open to free the man.
The authorities have investigated and closed the incident with no follow-ups required, MFA said.
He crossed the border daily in hopes of buying a house for his family.
On a few days, the thundery showers might extend into the night.
His church has urged parishioners to refrain from visiting him as he heals.
The kitten will be put up for adoption after its injuries are cured.