Massive traffic jam at Causeway finally subsides

SINGAPORE: The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said on Monday afternoon (Dec 30) that the traffic jam that caught travellers on the Johor Causeway starting the day before had eased.

“Tailback of departure traffic from Malaysia at Woodlands Checkpoint has subsided,” it announced on Facebook and X at 1:57 pm.

Earlier, ICA warned travellers of heavy departure traffic at Woodlands and told them to expect delays and check traffic conditions before embarking on their journeys.

The traffic jam began around 2:00 pm on Sunday when travellers from Singapore to Malaysia usually begin their homeward journeys.

Shortly past 5 pm on Sunday, the Malaysian news site The Star reported that traffic had reached all the way to Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (BSI) in Johor Baru. Conversely, the entry to Johor Bahru at the time had been clear.

Read related: ICA warns of heavy traffic from Nov 15 to Jan 1 after a record 543,000 SG-MY land crossings seen on 1 day, Sept 6

The Star also quoted an official from the Home Ministry as noting the was traffic congestion despite all the counters being open at BSI. He said, “We hope the public can stagger their journey as the wait can be up to two to three hours to reach Singapore.”

Vehicles on the Causeway may also have slowed down due to heavy rains on Sunday afternoon, affecting drivers’ visibility. Some noted that the presence of many lorries also contributed to the congestion.

On Nov 12, ICA said it expected traffic to be continuously heavy at land checkpoints between Singapore and Malaysia during the upcoming year-end school holidays.

The authority warned of heavy traffic beginning from Nov 15 that would last through to the first day of 2025 (Jan 1) at both the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints.

It also said that on Sept 6, the number of Woodlands and Tuas checkpoint crossings surpassed 543,000, the highest number for a single day.

During peak periods on that day, travellers by car had to wait as long as three hours for immigration clearance due to traffic tailback from Malaysia. This occurred during the school holidays from Aug 30 to Sept 8.

Moreover, ICA added that over 5 million people crossed the land checkpoints during this period.

The authority also advised travellers to factor in additional waiting time, especially during weekends. They might also consider using cross-border bus services as an alternative travel option. /TISG

Featured image by trafficiti.com

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