November 07, 2023, 11:31 AM
Very heavy traffic is expected at both Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints in the lead-up to and during the period from Thursday, Nov. 9 to Tuesday Nov. 14, 2023, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a news release.
This is due to the upcoming Deepavali long weekend and the year-end school holidays having already started for some students.
Expect 3-hour wait
During the recent Children’s Day weekend from Oct. 6 to 8, more than 1.27 million travellers used the land checkpoints.
ICA said it saw the highest number of travellers cleared through the land checkpoints since the borders reopened in 2022, with more than 460,000 crossings on Oct. 6, 2023, out of which about 260,000 were departing travellers.
Those who departed by car had to wait up to three hours before they were cleared through immigration during the peak, ICA added.
In addition, given the developing situation in the Middle East, ICA said it has stepped up security measures at the checkpoints.
Travellers are advised to factor in additional waiting time for immigration clearance, to be patient, observe traffic rules, maintain lane discipline, and cooperate with officers on-site when using the land checkpoints.
Things to note before departure
Motorists are also advised to check the traffic situation at the land checkpoints through the Land Transport Authority (LTA)’s One Motoring website or via the Expressway Monitoring & Advisory System installed along the Bukit Timah Expressway and Ayer Rajah Expressway.
They can also get updates through ICA’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as local radio broadcasts on Money 89.3, One 91.3, Kiss92, Hao 96.3, UFM 100.3.
Those in queue at the land checkpoints should refrain from queue cutting as it can cause severe congestion and compromise the safety of other motorists, ICA said.
Errant motorists caught queue cutting will be turned away and made to re-queue, ICA added.
In a recent incident on Oct. 15, 2023, ICA said it turned away four cars from Tuas Checkpoint due to them cutting the queue when entering Singapore.
If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram to get the latest updates.