‘Very heavy’ traffic expected at land checkpoints during Chinese New Year period: ICA
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Traffic is expected to be very heavy at both the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints from Jan 24 to Feb 2.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE
Follow topic:
SINGAPORE – If you are heading to Malaysia via the land checkpoints during the upcoming Chinese New Year period, be prepared for longer waits to clear the immigration counters.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Jan 20 said it expects very heavy traffic at both the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints from Jan 24 to Feb 2. The first day of Chinese New Year falls on Jan 29.
The authority said that more than 24 million travellers crossed both checkpoints during the recent school holiday period, between Nov 15, 2024, and Jan 1. It was about a 20 per cent increase from the same period in the previous year.
On Dec 20, 2024, a record number of more than 562,000 travellers crossed the land checkpoints within a day. This surpassed the previous peak of more than 553,000 travellers on Dec 13, 2024, ICA said.
Car travellers departing during peak periods then had to wait up to three hours for immigration clearance because of the traffic tailback from Malaysia, said the authority.
Travellers can consider using cross-border bus services to shorten their waiting time. They can check the Land Transport Authority’s MyTransport.SG app or the operators’ websites for bus operating hours and timings.
Those travelling by car and motorcycle are encouraged to use QR codes instead of passports for faster and more convenient immigration clearance.
They are also reminded not to bring in prohibited or controlled items, such as vapes and bak kwa
More information is available on ICA’s website.
