950,000 travelers used Singapore-Malaysia land borders over the long weekend

[ASEAN NOW News]

Heavy traffic at the Causeway on April 29, 2022, as Singaporeans make their way to Johor Bahru. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

 

SINGAPORE - Over 950,000 travelers used the land checkpoints between Singapore and Malaysia over the long weekend, reported The Straits Times.

 

More travelers actually departed Singapore - 491,400 - compared with 462,400 arrivals into the country over five days from last Friday (April 29) to Tuesday.

 

Over the three-day Good Friday weekend between April 15 and 17, 436,800 crossed the land borders between the two countries.

 

That was the first public holiday since land borders fully reopened on April 1, the first time in two years that fully vaccinated individuals could travel freely between Singapore and Malaysia by land without testing or quarantine.

 

Earlier, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) had advised travelers to use the cross-border bus services instead of driving into Malaysia with private vehicles to avoid getting caught in the anticipated jam.

 

Official figures provided by the ICA, showed that there were more travelers using cars and motorcycles than buses. Collectively, 660,400 travelers who cleared the checkpoints used private transport while 293,400 used the bus.

 

The difference may be partly attributed to cross-border public buses resuming operations only from Sunday.

 

Before the pandemic, more than 400,000 people used the land crossings between Singapore and Malaysia daily.

 

Digital manager Azfar Hashim, 37, drove into Malaysia last Saturday - his third time doing so since April 1.

 

He and his wife cleared immigration at the Tuas checkpoint around noon.

 

They had intended to do only a day trip to Johor Bahru but decided to drive on to Kuala Lumpur when they learnt that toll charges on the North-South Expressway were waived until Sunday.

 

They returned to Singapore on Sunday evening.

 

Mr Azfar said: "The Customs clearance went extremely smoothly for us, and even the traffic on the highway was good. It was a nice relaxing weekend".