SINGAPORE: People bound to travel to Malaysia via land checkpoints during the upcoming long weekend and September school holidays are now advised to be ready for extra travelling time due to heavy traffic. 

Since the queues to clear immigration reached up to three hours during the June school holidays, a similar situation is expected at both Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints in the run-up to and during the September holidays, as reported by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in an issued advisory.

During last June holidays, ICA reported continuous traffic, with an estimated 250,000 people passing through both checkpoints on June 1 and the first week of the holidays. 

ICA added: “During the weekend period of June 16 to 18, more than 1.2 million travellers, averaging more than 400,000 crossings per day, used land checkpoints. Those who departed by car had to wait for up to three hours before they were cleared through immigration during peak periods.” 

It must be noted that the polling day for Singapore’s presidential elections, which will fall on Friday, is declared a public holiday, and the September school holidays begin from Saturday to Sept 10, while Teacher’s Day is on Sept 11. 

Before heading to the checkpoints, travellers are advised to check the traffic situation via the Land Transport Authority’s One Motoring website or the Expressway Monitoring Advisory System installed along Bukit Timah Expressway and Ayer Rajah Expressway. 

Travellers can also get updates through ICA’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and radio broadcasts on Money FM 89.3, One FM 91.3, Kiss92, 96.3 Hao FM and UFM100.3.

Do consider that ICA requires travellers to have passports with a validity of at least six months. Singapore permanent residents who have renewed their passports will have to transfer their re-entry permits to the new passports, while long-term pass holders will need to notify ICA or the Ministry of Manpower of any change in their passport particulars before entry into Singapore.