The National Day long weekend is right around the corner, and for some of us, that means only one thing: time to go to Johor Bahru. But as seasoned border-crossers would know, practically half of Singapore will have the same idea, spelling jams at the land crossings and long queues at immigration checkpoints.
The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) certainly expects heavy traffic at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints in the lead up to and during the National Day weekend (August 8 to 10). The trend indeed suggests so: the June holidays this year saw more than 525,000 travellers crossing both land checkpoints, an almost 10% increase from the same period last year; a record number of crossings in a single day was also made on June 20.
Besides heavy traffic, ICA has also advised travellers to expect longer waiting times for immigration clearance. If all this doesn't deter you from going to JB anyway, here's what you need to know to make your journey as smooth as possible.
What are the peak periods to avoid?
ICA has not released exact peak period timings, but taking previous years as a guide, here's when you might want to avoid:
- Departing Singapore between 3pm and 11.59pm on Friday (August 8)
- Departing Singapore between 6am and 10am, and 4pm and 9pm on Saturday (August 9)
- Entering Singapore between 5pm and 7pm on Sunday (August 10), and 1pm and 11.59pm on Monday (August 11)
ICA also advised travellers to opt for cross-border bus services instead of driving to Malaysia to avoid getting caught in the traffic jams.
Where can I check the traffic situation?
Of course, the situation on the ground is always dynamic. Your best bet is to check the traffic situation at the Land Transport Authority’s One Motoring website or the Expressway Monitoring & Advisory System on the Bukit Timah and Ayer Rajah expressways before departing.
What else can I do for a smoother journey?
Check that your passport is valid for at least six months before departing for Malaysia. Singapore permanent residents who recently renewed their passports will also have to transfer their re-entry permit (REP) to the new passport. Long-term pass holders, on the other hand, should notify ICA or the Manpower Ministry if there are any changes in their passport particulars before re-entering Singapore.
If you're travelling by car or motorcycle, do use QR codes instead of your passport for faster immigration clearance. You can get more information from the ICA website. Similarly, those going by bus can generate QR codes from the MyICA website in lieu of passports at immigration.
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