There could be some relief to 150,000 commuters who endure hours-long waits to cross the road border between Malaysia and Singapore, Malaysian newspaper The Star reported.
The Malaysian government has proposed a “single clearance system” to ease traffic along the Johor-Singapore Causeway, the report said.
Such waits often require cross-border workers on the Malaysian side to wake up as early as 4am to get to work on time in Singapore.
Photo: REUTERS
The proposal, still in its initial stages, would involve Malaysian immigration officials being stationed on the Singapore side of the causeway, with Singaporean officials stationed on the Malaysian side, in the southern state of Johor.
The congestion results in at least two-hour wait time at border checkpoints between the city-state and Johor. In normal circumstances, the journey takes only 20 minutes.
Additional funds would be granted under the proposal for more motorcycle lanes on the causeway and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link bridge, while passenger vehicles would be able to access truck lanes during the weekend.
The Singapore-Malaysia border checkpoints are among the busiest land crossings in the world. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 200,000 travelers crossed them daily.
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