JOHOR BARU: Thousands of daily commuters between Malaysia and Singapore are forced to endure longer journeys following the intensification of security checks by the island republic following the Iranian crisis.
The situation is most pronounced during the morning peak hours between 5am and 10am, at both the Woodlands Checkpoint serving the Causeway here as well as the Tuas Checkpoint at the Second Link.
The stringent security checks, which began Feb 28, applies to all vehicles, including motorcycles.
A Malaysian worker known as Tan said he was stuck for more than an hour daily, sometimes up to 90 minutes, on his motorcycle.
“Because of the checks, many people have started discarding their cigarettes on the roads along the Causeway,” he said, adding that sometimes the jams stretch all the way back to the Malaysian checkpoint.
Another daily traveller, Rosli Mat Hassan, said more people are opting to walk across the Causeway to avoid the jam.
“These days, there is more rubbish along the roads as people discard prohibited items before they get into Singapore,” he said, hoping that the heightened inspections would be scaled down soon.
Another frequent commuter took to social media to warn people to expect longer than usual delays.
“I have been stuck on the bus since 7.30pm, barely moving, while watching people walk across the Causeway which is faster than the traffic,” wrote Clara Chang on social media.
“By 8.25pm, we finally got closer to Singapore, and the bus dropped us off so we could walk to the Singapore checkpoint.
“It took a total of one hour 15 minutes to get to the Singapore checkpoint from Johor Baru, and that was only the Causeway.”
When contacted, Johor Trucking Association president Chan Pei Yoon said that truckers were also facing additional checks at the Singapore side
“We were notified about this by the Singapore authorities, and we have since informed all our members,” she said.
In a statement on Feb 28, Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said there would be enhanced security measures at all its checkpoints in view of the heightened global situation, including recent developments in the Middle East, adding that travellers should expect delays.
