I have traveled to Johore on several occasions during the past two years by car and public transport and using the causeway and the second link.
I like to share my observations.
If we travel during the off-peak hours, the travel time is acceptable by car. During the peak hours, we can be caught by two hours or longer.
It does not matter if you are travelling by bus or car. If you are caught in the congestion, the same time is wasted.
The bus traveler has to endure the additional inconvenience of entering two separate buildings on the Singapore and Malaysian side to check the passports and luggage. The car traveler does not have to endure this hardship.
On one occasion, the queuing time at the Singapore customs took more than one hour. The computer system was slow. The backup process was poor.
On many occasions, the queue time seemed to be longer on the Singapore side than the Malaysian side, even when leaving Singapore. We cannot blame the longer time on stricter security measures.
I suspect that the computer system on the Singapore side can be quite slow on some days. The processing time on the Johore side seems faster, and they have to handle the same traffic.
There is some discussion on building a third link on the eastern side of Singapore. This is useful, but it does not solve the underlying problem of long processing time at the checkpoints.
I suggest that there should be joint clearance for bus travelers. This can be done in three ways:
a) Locate the two checkpoints for the two governments in the same building. The traveler passes through one checkpoint to leave the country and joins another queue to pass through the checkpoint of the other country. It saves the time of alighting and boarding the bus.
b) Integrate the computer system. The checkpoint of the country of entry can also pass information to the computer system of the other country to check that the traveler is allowed to leave the country.
c) Have a separate bio-metric card for workers who have to pass the checkpoint every day. This checkpoint serves two countries.
The arrangement described in (a) is used at the KTM train checkpoint in Woodlands. The train traveler passes through two checkpoints in the same building.
The arrangement described in (b) can be considered for car travelers. But it does not solve the underlying problem of too many cars during peak hours that cause congestion at the causeway and the second link.
We may have to set aside a separate lane for buses during the peak hours. This will bad for car travelers but they should avoid the peak hours.
We can increase the frequency of the train shuttle service. It should be possible to run the train at 15 minutes intervals on the single track. If there is space for double track, the frequency can be increased.
We have this problem of wasted time at the checkpoint for more than a decade.It is wasting time for workers and travelers. It is time for the people in charge to look for a solution.
I like to share my observations.
If we travel during the off-peak hours, the travel time is acceptable by car. During the peak hours, we can be caught by two hours or longer.
It does not matter if you are travelling by bus or car. If you are caught in the congestion, the same time is wasted.
The bus traveler has to endure the additional inconvenience of entering two separate buildings on the Singapore and Malaysian side to check the passports and luggage. The car traveler does not have to endure this hardship.
On one occasion, the queuing time at the Singapore customs took more than one hour. The computer system was slow. The backup process was poor.
On many occasions, the queue time seemed to be longer on the Singapore side than the Malaysian side, even when leaving Singapore. We cannot blame the longer time on stricter security measures.
I suspect that the computer system on the Singapore side can be quite slow on some days. The processing time on the Johore side seems faster, and they have to handle the same traffic.
There is some discussion on building a third link on the eastern side of Singapore. This is useful, but it does not solve the underlying problem of long processing time at the checkpoints.
I suggest that there should be joint clearance for bus travelers. This can be done in three ways:
a) Locate the two checkpoints for the two governments in the same building. The traveler passes through one checkpoint to leave the country and joins another queue to pass through the checkpoint of the other country. It saves the time of alighting and boarding the bus.
b) Integrate the computer system. The checkpoint of the country of entry can also pass information to the computer system of the other country to check that the traveler is allowed to leave the country.
c) Have a separate bio-metric card for workers who have to pass the checkpoint every day. This checkpoint serves two countries.
The arrangement described in (a) is used at the KTM train checkpoint in Woodlands. The train traveler passes through two checkpoints in the same building.
The arrangement described in (b) can be considered for car travelers. But it does not solve the underlying problem of too many cars during peak hours that cause congestion at the causeway and the second link.
We may have to set aside a separate lane for buses during the peak hours. This will bad for car travelers but they should avoid the peak hours.
We can increase the frequency of the train shuttle service. It should be possible to run the train at 15 minutes intervals on the single track. If there is space for double track, the frequency can be increased.
We have this problem of wasted time at the checkpoint for more than a decade.It is wasting time for workers and travelers. It is time for the people in charge to look for a solution.
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