JB Checkpoints Introduce Contra-Flow Lanes for Smooth Holiday Traffic
As we approach the festive season, the Christmas and New Year holidays this year are set to begin on the weekend, presenting us with the opportunity to revel in two extended weekends.
Yes. Long weekend, very shiok.
But imagine how “shiok” it would be if we have to do the Christmas or New Year countdown stuck between Singapore and Johor Bahru (JB)?
Just this Tuesday, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) made an important announcement.
They expect a minimum of three hours waiting time for immigration clearance due to the anticipated heavy traffic at both the Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints.
When the ICA refers to traffic as “heavy“, they actually mean heavy.
To illustrate, just last week, the traffic at these land checkpoints saw an astounding number of over 1.3 million travellers.
This translates to nearly 435,000 crossings each day, a figure that notably surpasses the pre-COVID-19 levels.
But fret not!
Johor Bahru has devised an innovative solution to this challenge – the introduction of “contra-flow lanes”.
As the term implies, these lanes enable motorists to utilise the lanes designated for the opposite direction.
This strategy effectively increases the available lanes for vehicles, thereby enhancing the flow of traffic.
These contra-flow lanes are set to be operational at the two land checkpoints in JB.
On 21 Dec, just yesterday, Johor’s Works, Transportation, and Infrastructure Committee Chairman, Mohamad Fazli Salleh, expressed the state government’s anticipation of heavy traffic influx from Singapore at both the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes at the Causeway in Johor Bahru and the Second Link in Iskandar Puteri.
Therefore, in an effort to mitigate congestion for those entering Malaysia, the activation of these contra-flow lanes has been planned.
You: Huh, but will it work?
Well, the CIQ complex had previously tested these lanes back in October.
Johor’s Mentri Besar (chief minister), Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, reported to The Star that the implementation of the contra-flow lanes led to significant improvements in traffic flow.
He also mentioned that the JB federal government continues to explore additional measures to alleviate congestion, keeping in mind that safety and security are paramount.
There have been proposals to introduce shuttle bus services for pedestrians, facilitating their movement from the Stulang area to the CIQ complex.
So here you go, maybe it’s time to consider travelling in another way besides taking the bus.
Despite the introduction of contra-flow lanes, some bus zone counters and electronic gates will be undergoing upgrades and will be closed from 15 Dec 2023 to 15 Jan 2024.
If you’re planning to travel by bus, be prepared for potential delays, particularly at the bus zone counters at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) across the Causeway in Johor Bahru.
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