Motorcyclists Arriving At Tuas Checkpoint Diverted To Departure Zone In Early Morning, Frees Up Clearance Lanes

ICA Implemented ‘Operation Sunrise’ At Tuas Checkpoint Since May 2023

UPDATE (16 Aug): In response to MS News queries, an Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) spokesperson shared that they had implemented ‘Operation Sunrise’ at the Second Link since May 2023, during the morning peak hours.

By diverting some arriving motorcyclists to the departure zone, the number of automated lanes at Tuas Checkpoint is nearly doubled — from 40 to 70 — leading to reduced queueing and improved efficiency.

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Due to the sheer number of travellers who traverse the land crossings between Malaysia and Singapore daily, motorists often find themselves stuck in checkpoint jams for long periods of time.

In a bid to shave off some travelling time for motorcyclists entering Singapore in the morning, the ICA recently introduced an alternative route at Tuas Checkpoint.

Dubbing it ‘Operation Sunrise’, they share that the route helps riders save about 30 minutes of travelling time.

Motorcyclists entering Singapore directed to departure zone

On Friday (28 July), the ICA posted a video introducing ‘Operation Sunrise’, an alternative route for motorcyclists travelling into Singapore.

Instead of the usual route where they have to pass through the Arrival Zone, ICA officers will divert motorcyclists to the Departure Zone. This is likely because there aren’t as many motorists leaving Singapore early in the morning.

Therefore, instead of finding themselves in a long line of motorcyclists trying to clear immigration, riders can get through customs much quicker via the alternative route at Tuas.

After clearing the checkpoints, motorcyclists will exit Tuas Checkpoint via a slip road and merge onto the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) as normal.

Saves 30 minutes of travelling time

Speaking to ICA, a motorcyclist who got to be a part of ‘Operation Sunrise’ said it originally took him one hour to get to work.

But with the alternative route, his journey takes about half the amount of time.

Judging from the video and its name, ‘Operation Sunrise’ appears to only be in place during the morning peak hours. MS News has reached out to ICA for more information. We’ll update the article if they get back.

The ICA did mention that this is only their first video introducing the alternative route. So, keep a lookout for new posts from them if you’d like to find out more.

Already, reception to the initiative seems to be quite positive, with many people in the comments praising the ICA for their efforts.

Hopefully, this measure will ease congestion at the checkpoint significantly and make commutes smoother for all.

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Featured image adapted from Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook.