The Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has not received any proposal for a "single clearance system" at the Causeway.

In response to Mothership's queries, ICA added that it will study the feasibility of such a proposal with its Malaysian counterparts "if and when we receive one".

Previously, Malaysia had put forth a proposal for travellers to clear customs only once at the Causeway between Johor and Singapore.

According to Johor's works, transportation and infrastructure committee chairman, Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh, this proposal will entail stationing Singapore's immigration officers at Malaysia's checkpoint to clear travellers entering Singapore, and likewise, placing Malaysia's immigration officers in Singapore to clear people heading into Malaysia.

Fazli added that the proposal was still in the initial stages.

ICA: Multiple initiatives have been introduced to ease the traffic

ICA also highlighted it had been studying ways to improve travellers’ experience at the land checkpoints, and that it had introduced several initiatives in recent years to alleviate the traffic situation.

In 2020, ICA said it had built six car counters at each arrival and departure lorry zone at Woodlands Checkpoint to augment car clearance capacity.

It also commissioned 10 bi-directional automated lanes to replace manual counters at the bus hall of Woodlands Checkpoint, allowing clearance lanes to be converted "flexibly" for different modes of immigration clearance, based on the traffic situation.

In addition, in February 2022, ICA leveraged the downtime during the Covid-19 pandemic to implement 64 additional automated gates at the immigration bus halls in both Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints.

ICA said, "This allows more travellers to clear immigration through the automated lanes and more officers can thus be deployed dynamically to areas which require more support to manage traveller volume."

Woodlands checkpoint to be redeveloped over the next few years

ICA added that the Woodlands Checkpoint will also be redeveloped over the next few years, and will have more automated clearance lanes for buses, cars, motorcycles and lorries.

It cited a potential of reducing congestion and travel time by up to 75 per cent during peak periods.

"ICA will continue to work with our Malaysian counterparts to improve and facilitate cross-border movement while keeping Singapore’s borders safe and secure," it said.

Top photo via One Motoring