Question:
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the peak and off-peak waiting and clearance times at Singapore-Malaysia land checkpoints; and (b) whether the Ministry can publish data on daily and hourly average traffic volumes, waiting times and clearance times to improve accountability and allow commuters and businesses to plan ahead.
Answer:
1. The Woodlands and Tuas land checkpoints are among the busiest in the world. Every day, around 400,000 travellers cross them. Weekday traffic is usually highest from 5am to 10am and 5pm to 9pm. The waiting time at the Singapore checkpoints can go up to 1.5 hours during peak periods, and 30 minutes during non-peak periods. This does not include the time needed to clear immigration in Malaysia.
2. The waiting time increases significantly during school holidays, festive periods, and long weekends, and could go beyond 2 hours.
3. Other unpredictable factors also affect the waiting time. These include traffic accidents, vehicle breakdowns, security incidents, and traffic tailbacks from Johor.
4. ICA provides real-time checkpoint traffic updates via local radio stations, social media platforms, and LTA’s Expressway Monitoring Advisory System signage. Travellers can also check the checkpoint traffic conditions via live CCTVs on LTA’s OneMotoring website, or via commercial navigation apps that provide estimated travel times.
5. These real-time updates, and the broad traffic trends I had mentioned earlier, should help travellers plan their journey. It may not be useful or meaningful to compile and publish data on an hourly and daily basis.
