Commuters: System has helped reduce gridlock at Immigration
JOHOR BARU: The implementation of the QR code for immigration clearance here and in Singapore has helped reduce congestion at the Causeway and Second Link, say frequent travellers.
They said that while the two border crossings continue to see slow traffic from time to time, there have been some visible improvements, especially in the last few months.
Alan Tiang, a renovation contractor in Singapore, reported a significant reduction in his travel time since September last year.
“The improvement was gradual and there are still days when the traffic is very bad, but in general things are better.
“I used to leave my house in Gelang Patah at around 6am to avoid traffic congestion, but now I can leave at 8am and still be able to reach Singapore by around 9am,” he said in an interview.
Tiang said he saw improved traffic when driving his car or riding his motorcycle to Singapore through the Second Link.
“I usually ride my motorcycle to work, but sometimes I opt to drive. The traffic is about the same either way.
“However, I do feel that there is heavier congestion on weekends these days as Johor now shares a Saturday-Sunday weekend with Singapore.
“We still have problems with the lack of counters on the Malaysian side and this often contributes to the congestion,” he said.
Echoing a similar sentiment was swimming pool serviceman Mohamad Shamyrul Arzemy, who travels to Singapore on a motorcycle via the Causeway.
“Immigration clearance in Singapore and Malaysia has improved a lot since both sides implemented the QR code system.
“You can now shorten a journey that used to take an hour by 20 to 30 minutes.
“However, that is not the case all the time. It depends on how the traffic is being handled on both sides and the number of counters open,” he said.
Another Malaysian working in Singapore, technician K. Suresh, said he hopes the new border agency will help control traffic near the Causeway and Second Link.
“Better traffic management could further improve the situation. On the Singapore side, we can see their Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers managing the traffic and this has helped reduce congestion.
“So far, I have only noticed Rela (Malaysia Volunteer Corps Department) personnel handling the traffic on the Malaysian side.
“Since we now have the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), which I believe is similar to Singapore’s ICA, they may be able to monitor the traffic here,” he said.
In June last year, Malaysia began a three-month proof of concept testing phase for the QR code clearance system at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) near the Causeway and Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) CIQ near the Second Link.
The system is now being fully implemented in stages.
Meanwhile, in Singapore, the ICA first introduced QR code clearance for motorists on March 19.
This was followed by bus drivers on April 15, motorcyclists and their pillion riders on Aug 15 and cargo vehicle drivers and their accompanying assistants on Aug 30.
