SINGAPORE: The Johor immigration office announced on Wednesday (Dec 12) that a number of bus zone counters will go through staggered closures between Dec 15, 2023, and Jan 15, 2024, as upgrading works are carried out.
These works at the Sultan Iskandar Building, the customs, immigration, and quarantine complex (CIQ) in Johor Bahru, will affect select manual counters and e-gates at departure halls and will be carried out in three phases, the immigration office said in a Facebook post.
Starting from Dec 15 (Friday), the first phase will affect e-gate counters 1 to 3 and manual counters 1 to 4. Phase 2 begins on Dec 21 and affects e-gate counters 1 to 6 and manual counters 11 to 18, while Phase 3 will start on Dec 28 and will affect only manual counters numbered 3 to 12.
Meanwhile, the arrival hall will also be undergoing renovations, affecting the same counters. This will take place in three places as well: Dec 28, Jan 3, and Jan 9.
The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) counter will also be closed from Dec 15 onward. Travellers eligible to use e-gates at the Sultan Iskandar Building need to get fingerprinted at MDAC counters on their first visit so that they’ll be able to use the e-gates the next time or times they pass through.
The immigration office of Johor has advised travellers to plan for their trips during this affected period and apologized in advance for any inconveniences that travellers may encounter.
“Please make sure your travel documents (passports) are in order and are still valid before entering the immigration check counter,” it said in its post, warning against cutting queues and asking the public to make way for those in need.
As schools in Singapore go on holiday from Nov 16 to Jan 2, heavier traffic than usual has been predicted, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a Facebook post and traffic advisory on Nov 6.
“Travellers are thus advised to factor in additional waiting time for immigration clearance. We seek travellers’ understanding and cooperation to be patient, observe traffic rules, maintain lane discipline, and cooperate with officers on-site when using the land checkpoints,” ICA said.
As for motorists, they have been advised to check on traffic via the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) One Motoring website or the Expressway Monitoring & Advisory System installed along the BKE and AYE. They can also visit ICA Facebook and Twitter accounts and keep abreast of updates via Money 89.3, One 91.3, Kiss92, Hao 96.3, and UFM 100.3.
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