Bustling bridge: A view of the traffic condition at the Johor Causeway at 3pm yesterday. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
IPOH: All necessary steps are in place to manage the traffic flow at the Johor Causeway for the Chinese New Year period, says Anthony Loke.
The Transport Minister said even though there is still some congestion, there has been quite an improvement, especially with the clearance system.
“If previously it took a few hours for the congestion to clear, right now, the clearance is a bit faster.
“There are already contra-flow lanes that would be activated to help with the traffic flow, and of course more immigration and customs counters would remain open,” he told reporters after launching the cashless payment for KTMB Komuter Trains at the Ipoh train station here yesterday.
Loke said whatever capacity is available would be fully utilised during the festive season.
On Feb 6, it was reported that the Johor Immigration Department had anticipated over 400,000 travellers to enter Malaysia through the Causeway and the Second Link during Chinese New Year.
Johor immigration director Baharuddin Tahir had said that the department had implemented several measures to alleviate congestion at both the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine checkpoints as it expected heavy traffic two days before Chinese New Year, which falls tomorrow.
“We will be activating our quick response team at both BSI and KSAB to ensure smooth traffic.
“We will make sure that all 284 immigration counters at BSI and 169 counters at KSAB remain open during this period, and will also be activating contra-flow lanes for buses and cars to help the traffic flow,” he said.
In JOHOR BARU, Johor police chief DCP M. Kumar said the Causeway and Second Link are among over 70 locations being given special attention this Chinese New Year, with more than 600 policemen deployed statewide under Ops Lancar that began yesterday to ensure smooth traffic throughout the festive season.
“We have identified a total of 41 hotspots (areas that are frequently congested) and 37 blackspots (areas where accidents often happen) statewide.
“A total of 89 officers and 582 personnel have been deployed to ensure smooth traffic.
“All of the hotspots and blackspots, which include the Second Link and Causeway, will be given special attention and have more personnel deployed,” he said after launching Ops Lancar and Ops Selamat here yesterday.
Earlier, Baharuddin reminded travellers to ensure they have made the necessary preparations, including checking the validity of their travel documents and ensuring a sufficient balance in their Touch ‘n Go cards to pay for road charges at BSI and KSAB.
Foreigners other than Singaporeans planning to travel into Malaysia during this period are advised to fill out the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card at least t hree days before starting their journey.
Meanwhile, Malaysians working in Singapore are opting to make their way home for Chinese New Year earlier to avoid being stuck in congestion.
Among them is barista Andrea Tan, 27, who decided to take a bus yesterday morning.
“I applied for leave a few weeks ago so that I could return home early to avoid being stuck in traffic.
“I am glad I did that, as the traffic flow was very smooth yesterday, and I managed to reach Johor Baru in about 30 minutes,” she said.
Tan, who is from Tangkak, hopes that the traffic would also be smooth when she returns to Singapore for work on Feb 18.
“That is my main concern, as I know that many people will be going back at the same time. I hope that relevant departments can take the necessary steps to ensure that all counters are open throughout the festive season,” she said.
Businessman Chan Wen Choong, 45, said that his son and daughter-in-law, who work in Singapore, returned to their hometown in Pontian on Tuesday night.
“They were able to get extra days off and decided to drive back earlier. Last year, they did not experience getting stuck in traffic despite returning on the eve of Chinese New Year.
“However, we do not want to take any chances, as traffic can be rather unpredictable,” he said, adding that the journey was smooth for them.
Drone pilot Lim Ming Hui, 44, said that his journey back to Johor on Wednesday was smooth.
“I travel back and forth between Singapore and Johor daily, and so far, I have yet to experience any out-of-the-ordinary congestion.”
