JOHOR BARU: Motorists travelling into Singapore have been subjected to tightened security measures at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints but this has not caused any massive disruption to the traffic flow across the broder.
Checks showed that traveling by car from the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex in Bangunan Sultan Iskandar to Singapore's Immigration Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in Woodlands took about two hours (one-way) today.
For frequent commuters between Johor Baru and Singapore's checkpoints, waiting between one and two hours for immigration clearance and experiencing traffic congestion is considered normal.
It was reported that Singapore had tightened security measures at border checkpoints to prevent potential terrorist attacks.
This followed the attack on Friday (May 17) at the Ulu Tiram police station, which resulted in the deaths of two police constables and the injury of a corporal. The suspect was shot dead.
A New Straits Times journalist drove to Singapore in a 4x4 truck from the state capital, accompanied by a Malaysian with a Singapore work permit and a Singaporean.
To enter Singapore, the journalist had downloaded the republic's QR Code Immigration Clearance System.
The road trip to the CIQ BSI was smooth, and immigration clearance took less than half an hour, despite some traffic congestion entering the complex. This was at about 10am on Monday.
No heightened security enforcement presence was observed at the exit point.
A notable change was that the journalist's passport was stamped, which had not been done previously.
Traffic along the Causeway was smooth, with motorists queuing in their respective lanes, aided by the heightened presence of Singapore uniformed enforcement officers.
Unlike before, motorists were not jumping queues or attempting to use the lane dedicated to public buses to bypass traffic.
Upon arriving at the ICA complex in Woodlands, three auxiliary policemen conducted stringent checks on the journalist's 4x4 truck.
Signs of enhanced security measures were evident, with more personnel stationed and thorough inspections carried out.
The entire immigration clearance process, including registering the vehicle entry via the republic-issued Autopass card and Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) deduction, took about 40 seconds.
Overall, the entire process - traffic congestion, vehicle inspection, and immigration clearance - was efficient and smooth.
The journey from CIQ BSI to ICA Woodlands, including immigration clearance, took one and a half hours.
On May 20, ICA, in a statement, said heavy traffic is expected at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints beginning yesterday (May 21) and continuing until June 23, due to the Wesak Day public holiday and June school holidays.
Upon returning to Johor Baru at 9:30pm yesterday (Tuesday), the roads to the ICA complex in Woodlands were congested.
It took nearly two hours to reach the immigration counter.
At the counter, the journalist used the QR code for immigration clearance in less than 30 seconds, while the passenger handed over his passport. This process also included registering the vehicle's exit via Autopass.
After clearing immigration, the journey across the Causeway to Johor Baru was smooth.
At CIQ BSI, the immigration clearance process was efficient. Customs Department officers at the complex also conducted thorough vehicle checks.