Heavy traffic expected at land checkpoints during Labour Day long weekend

Heavy traffic is expected at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints during the upcoming Labour Day long weekend from April 30 to May 3, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Monday (April 27).

Security checks on arriving travellers, cargo and conveyances have been stepped up at all checkpoints due to the tense global security situation, including recent developments in the Middle East, said ICA in a travel advisory.

Travellers are encouraged to plan their journey ahead of time and consider travelling during non-peak hours such as early mornings and late evenings.

They are also encouraged to use QR codes for faster immigration clearance.

Over 498,000 crossings a day

More than 1.4 million travellers crossed the checkpoints during the recent Good Friday long weekend from April 3 to 5, according to ICA.

Traffic peaked on April 4 with more than 498,000 crossings on that single day.

During the peak hours, those travelling by car experienced waiting times of up to three hours for immigration clearance due to traffic tailbacks from Malaysia.

The immigration authority also instructed travellers to cooperate with its officers, observe traffic rules and maintain lane discipline to ensure smooth traffic flow and safety.

"Those caught queue cutting will be made to go right to the back of the queue and re-queue," said ICA.

"ICA will take firm action against travellers who do not comply with our officers’ instructions or commit traffic offences."

During the Good Friday long weekend, 18 motorists were caught committing traffic-related offences and engaging in dangerous road behaviour.

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chingshijie@asiaone.com