Improvement works planned at Marina South Pier (pictured) and West Coast Pier will allow the ICA to roll out automated clearance. - ST
SINGAPORE: Those entering Singapore by sea via Marina South Pier and West Coast Pier will be able to clear immigration more quickly using automated lanes from 2027, after planned improvement works are completed.
Retrofitting and renovation works will also be carried out at Changi Point Ferry Terminal, although plans to introduce automated immigration clearance there are not confirmed.
The improvement works at West Coast and Marina South piers will start in December 2025, and are expected to be completed in the first half of 2027, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) told The Straits Times.
At present, travellers have to clear immigration at manned counters at these two checkpoints.
These counters will be progressively replaced with automated lanes and self-clearance immigration kiosks, said ICA. Immigration clearance will continue to be available during this period.
The authority said that once these works are done, all sea travellers at both piers will be able to use automated clearance services.
Travellers in these automated lanes would then need to scan their passports before going through biometric scans such as facial and iris checks.
With the gradual roll-out of automated clearance, ICA will also be able to redeploy its officers.
Instead of manning the manual counters at the piers, they will be tasked with profiling travellers using the automated lanes and pulling out those who are suspicious for further checks.
On the whole, ICA noted that as at April 1, close to 14 million travellers had cleared immigration without presenting their passport at air and sea checkpoints in Singapore.
According to tender documents published on government procurement website GeBiz on April 8, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and ICA are looking for a multidisciplinary consultancy team to carry out the necessary improvement works.
Both authorities named Marina South Pier, West Coast Pier and Changi Point Ferry Terminal in the tender.
Marina South Pier is used as a terminal for tourists boarding ferries to the Southern Islands and those going to and from ships at the Eastern anchorages. It measures around 3,000 sq m and comprises a three-storey building with immigration facilities, food establishments and ticketing booths, MPA and ICA noted in the tender.
The Southern Islands include Sentosa Island, St John’s Island and Lazarus Island.
West Coast Pier serves passengers going to and from ships anchored around the Western islands, including Jurong Island and Pulau Bukom, both of which house oil and petrochemical facilities.
Around 970sq m in size, the pier comprises a single-storey building with immigration facilities.
Lastly, the 1,500sq m Changi Point Ferry Terminal at the eastern end of Singapore is used as a passenger terminal for those travelling to outlying islands such as Pulau Ubin. It has a single-storey building with immigration facilities.
For all three terminals, the appointed consultancy team must carry out space planning and design works to provide the space and infrastructure needed for automated immigration clearance, according to the tender documents.
The documents also show that the estimated project construction cost is $4 million across all three sites.
When asked about the inclusion of Changi Point Ferry Terminal in the tender, MPA said on May 8: “Changi Point Ferry Terminal was also included in the scope of consultancy services to allow MPA to assess the scope of future improvements, should the operational need arise.”
Separately, on the traffic situation, ICA acknowledged that traveller volume through West Coast Pier and Marina South Pier is lower compared with other larger sea checkpoints such as Marina Bay Cruise Centre.
But it noted that there are still instances of crowding during peak hours, with high numbers of arriving and departing passengers at the same time.
Coupled with the limited queuing areas at both piers, travellers experience longer waiting times, said ICA.
Therefore, the authority noted that replacing manual counters with automated lanes and self-clearance kiosks would help manage such surges in travel volume.
Additionally, ICA said that automated immigration clearance allows the authority to tap advance traveller information and data analytics to identify high-risk travellers before they arrive at checkpoints in Singapore.
These travellers – including those on ICA’s watchlist – will be flagged for more stringent checks upon arrival as they clear immigration.
The authority said its automated lanes are equipped with counter-forgery detection capabilities and multi-modal biometrics screening systems, which detect travellers using fraudulent passports and false or multiple identities – including those who previously committed crimes in Singapore and are re-entering the country under a different identity.
At the close of the tender on April 21, there were 16 respondents, including engineering consultancy Arup Singapore and architecture firm TA.LE Architects.
Currently, passport-less clearance is available at Changi Airport, Marina Bay Cruise Centre and Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.
At Changi Airport, it takes an average of just 10 seconds to clear immigration, with travellers going through after biometric scanning.
ICA said it will progressively roll out passport-less clearance for passengers at the remaining air and sea checkpoints. - The Straits Times/ANN
