Record 543,000 people cross S'pore-M'sia border in 1 day during Sep. 2024 school holidays

Over 543,000 travellers crossed at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints between Singapore and Johor Bahru (JB) on Sep. 6.

This was a record for single-day crossings, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a Nov. 11 statement.

In total, over five million travellers crossed the checkpoints during the September school holidays between Aug. 30 and Sep. 8.

Travellers by car had to wait up to three hours to clear immigration during peak periods, due to "traffic tailback from Malaysia", ICA said.

Heavy traffic expected

Heavy traffic is similarly expected at both checkpoints during the year-end school holidays between Nov. 15 and Jan. 1.

Travellers should factor in additional waiting time, especially over the weekends, ICA advised.

Alternatively, travellers can consider taking cross-border bus services between Singapore and JB, such as via the Causeway Link bus service or the Transtar cross-border coach.

Other tips for smoother travel include:

• Checking the traffic situation at the checkpoints beforehand via the OneMotoring website
• Using QR codes instead of passports to clear immigration (for those travelling by car or motorcycle)
• Ensuring that your vehicle has a valid Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP)

"We also seek travellers’ understanding to cooperate with ICA officers, observe traffic rules and maintain lane discipline," the authority said.

"ICA will not hesitate to take stern action against travellers who do not comply with officers’ instructions and commit offences at the checkpoints."

Top image from Google Maps