AFRIEND who celebrated Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Johor Baru (JB) recently asked my friends what was the most convenient way to travel to Singapore from the state capital.
It was a big concern for him after news of massive congestion affecting outbound traffic on the Causeway last Sunday broke.
“Get on the train. It takes you to Woodlands and you can take a bus, or taxi to an MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) station,” said another friend, who was referring to the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd Tebrau shuttle service between JB Sentral station and Woodlands, Singapore.
For many Malaysians heading for the republic for the holidays, the thought of crossing the border by road is a big no-no.
They prefer the railway link by KTM, which provides 24-hour service daily from the Malaysian and Singaporean sides.
Those who drove, took buses or taxis into Singapore on Sunday had to endure chock-a-block traffic for two hours just to cross the 1.05km-long Causeway.
For them, it was a nightmare reminiscent of a similar congestion that occurred two years ago.
Razali Tompang, 39, who is among the hundreds of thousands of frequent commuters who ply the Malaysia-Singapore border for work, said he was familiar with the traffic snarl at the Causeway.
As the co-administrator of a Facebook page called “JB TRACER: Johor Baru Traffic, Crime and Community Service Report”, he oversees information given by motorists and public transport users about the traffic situation at the Causeway and Second Link.
“Many people were told that the traffic jam on Sunday was caused by Singaporean authorities conducting immigration and customs checks.
“But, in my opinion, such checks are done all the time.
“The checks are always done 100 per cent. The only difference on Sunday was that there were more vehicles entering Singapore for the holidays. This was compounded by the fact that it was the end of the Singaporean school holiday,” said Razali, whose Facebook community has attracted more than 57,000 members.
For Ashraf Kamal, 34, who drives his clients between JB and Singapore, the congestion that he endured on the Causeway on the first and second day of Hari Raya was part and parcel of his job.
“It is one of the challenges of driving into Singapore.
“On Sunday, it took me two hours to cross the Causeway and more than two hours the following day.
“That’s a far cry from regular days.
“On good days and without traffic, I can cross the Causeway in 30 minutes.”
He said there were more Malaysian-registered cars heading for Singapore via the Causeway on Sunday as many like him visited relatives in the republic.
“These were not the frequent drivers into Singapore as many of them were either signing up, or renewing their Autopass cards at the counters on the Singaporean side. Somehow, it led to a traffic build-up,” said Ashraf.
Incidents such as the one on Sunday are stark reminders that land connectivity between Malaysia and Singapore needs prompt attention.
Projects such as the Rapid Transit System (RTS) linking JB and Singapore, the High Speed Rail System between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, and expansion plans for the Woodlands checkpoint will facilitate the growing number of travellers between both countries.
However, short-term measures are needed to ease the hardship faced by motorists and public transport users.
Fortunately, there are glimmers of hope.
One of them is the Secured Automated Clearance System for Malaysian Citizen Motorcyclists (M-BIKE), which began at the two Malaysian land checkpoints at the Causeway and Second Link in November last year.
So far, 123,422 Malaysians have registered for M-BIKE and the system has helped reduce congestion for people commuting to Singapore on motorcycles.
On March 30, the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority announced the republic’s plans to expand the Woodlands checkpoint, which involved the construction of a new wing that would be built adjacent to the Old Woodlands Town Centre.
This was welcomed by frequent travellers to Singapore as statistics have shown that since the last upgrade of the Woodlands Checkpoint in 1999, the number of travellers using the entry point has tripled.
Statistics revealed by the Today newspaper showed 300,000 travellers used the Woodlands checkpoint daily back in 2015.