Close to 1.5 million travellers cleared through both Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints over the Wesak Day long weekend, said ICA. - ST
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Close to 1.5 million travellers cleared through both the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints over the Wesak Day long weekend from June 1 to 4, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Thursday (June 8).
This is the highest on record for a long weekend since land borders reopened between Singapore and Malaysia in April 2022.
June 1 also saw the highest number of daily departures since borders between both countries reopened, with more than 250,000 travellers leaving Singapore for Malaysia via both land checkpoints.
The surge in travellers came as the Wesak Day long weekend coincided with the June school holidays, ICA said on June 2.
ICA said it took several measures to help manage congestion and ease the movement of travellers. These included working with the Land Transport Authority and cross-border bus service providers to schedule more buses.
ICA also deployed more officers to control crowds at the bus concourses and updated the traffic situation frequently on social media platforms such as its Facebook page and through local radio broadcasts.
Travellers can expect longer waiting time as ICA expects traffic to remain “very heavy” at both land checkpoints throughout the June school holidays, which end on June 25.
Heavy traffic has been reported at the Singapore-Malaysia land checkpoints since travel restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic were lifted.
During the Good Friday long weekend in April, close to 1.4 million travellers crossed the land checkpoints, with an average of about 350,000 people leaving and entering Singapore each day.
