Immigration and Checkpoint Authority Solutions for Causeway jams
Having separate lanes at the Woodlands Checkpoint for foreign vehicles is clearly not a good solution as all vehicles go through the same mandatory checks (Have separate lanes at Woodlands Checkpoint for foreign-registered cars, by Mr Chew Guan Sun, Dec 13, 2019).

However, as the checkpoint is one of the world's busiest crossings, more should be done to ease traffic and ensure a smooth journey, instead of warning travellers which periods to avoid. Festivals such as Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya are celebrated in Singapore and Malaysia, and families from both sides often come together. This is unavoidable, and discouraging people from travelling during this period may not work very well.

Since the number of travellers cannot be controlled, all the counters should be open, and the authorities on both sides should maintain close communication and update each other on their respective situations. Both countries should work towards an integrated system, and only then will there be progress.

Another solution is to work with the relevant Malaysian authorities to upgrade facilities, plan new bus routes, widen the Causeway with more lanes, and work on the cross-border Rapid Transit System project, as well as the proposed pedestrian walkway along the Causeway.

This will enhance the experience of travellers and boost tourism in both counties, while not causing too much environmental pollution in the form of more cars on the road.

Joshua Sim, 14
Secondary 3

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/solutions-for-causeway-jams

Add Comment

---