Johor Chief Minister Highlights Surge in Border Traffic and Measures to Manage Congestion
JOHOR BAHRU: Since the reopening of the land borders on April 1, an average of over 165,000 individuals have crossed the checkpoints between Singapore and Malaysia daily, according to Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
During a session of the Johor state assembly on Monday (June 20), Mr. Onn Hafiz shared this information in response to a question posed by Stulang representative Andrew Chen, who sought statistics on border crossings at both the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar immigration complex (BSI) at the Causeway and the Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) at the Second Link.
“The Causeway and Second Link have seen revitalized traffic since the borders reopened on April 1, benefiting families who were separated and boosting Johor Bahru’s socio-economic landscape,” Mr. Onn Hafiz stated.
He reported that approximately 138,000 travelers passed through the BSI daily, while around 28,000 used the KSAB, resulting in a total average of about 166,000 travelers entering and exiting Johor from Singapore each day.
Since April 1, around 6.3 million Malaysians and 2.3 million travelers of other nationalities have crossed the BSI at the Causeway, while about 2.7 million Malaysians and 704,000 foreign travelers have passed through the KSAB.
The Chief Minister noted the “sudden spikes” in traveler numbers since the reopening and emphasized that discussions with various agencies are ongoing to maintain the state’s image and reputation.
“To manage the increased traffic flow, additional manpower and officials have been deployed at both BSI and KSAB,” he added. “While the reopening of borders has brought relief, some Johoreans have expressed concerns regarding issues linked to cross-border movement, and my team and I will diligently work to address these matters.”
He assured that the state government will continue collaborating with the federal government to enhance service levels at both immigration complexes to effectively handle congestion, placing priority on the needs of the public.
Following the reopening, traffic at the checkpoints surged significantly. On the first day, over 33,000 travelers cleared the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints. This number steadily increased, reaching 149,000 during the Good Friday weekend in April, 224,000 during the Vesak Day weekend in May, and peaking at 267,000 from June 10 to 12.
On June 15, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) warned travelers about potential heavy traffic at the land borders for the remainder of the June school holidays, advising them to adjust their travel plans accordingly.
Additionally, the ICA recommended that travelers consider using cross-border bus services to avoid traffic jams.
The KTM Tebrau Shuttle, which connects Malaysia’s Johor Bahru Sentral station with Woodlands station, resumed operations on June 19 after a suspension of over two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Malaysia’s Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong, the resumption has been well-received, with nearly 70,000 tickets sold in just one month. He noted that this service will also help alleviate congestion on the Causeway.
