SINGAPORE — Large multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) such as Toyota Alphard and Hyundai Starex may be directed to use bus lanes instead of car lanes as part of efforts to streamline immigration screening at Tuas checkpoints. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICA) has announced that. ) on Wednesday (January 3).
Passengers in these MPVs must disembark for immigration clearance before re-boarding the vehicle to continue their journey. This mirrors the process that buses and cars go through at checkpoints.
Turning large MPVs to enhance lane clearance
The ICA acknowledged these ongoing pilot efforts in a Facebook post on Wednesday, saying the repurposing of large vehicles will “improve customs clearance efficiency in motor vehicle lanes and the overall immigration experience for motorists.” He emphasized that this move was for the sake of
The report said the decision to redirect large MPVs, including models such as Hyundai Starex, Hyundai Staria, Maxus, Toyota Alphard and Toyota Vellfire, meant that these vehicles could carry up to 16 passengers. He added that this stemmed from his observation that the car was able to drive more like a light car. -Van or bus.
Due to the large number of passengers in these vehicles, the customs clearance process is much longer than for standard vehicles, and travelers have received a lot of feedback about delays caused by these MPVs, leading to the ICA to move MPVs to different lanes. Opinions have been received that we should consider separating them.
“Repurposing large MPVs like this into bus-only lanes will expedite immigration clearance for both large MPVs and other vehicles, improving the overall experience for all travelers,” the ICA said in a Facebook post. “Small MPVs will still be able to pass through immigration through the car lanes.” ”
Details of the ICA procedure and future considerations
The ICA explained the procedure in detail, outlining that passengers in large MPVs will need to disembark with their luggage and proceed to the bus hall for immigration clearance. Meanwhile, MPV drivers move through bus lanes and obtain their own clearance.
For people with reduced mobility, elderly passengers, pregnant women, or young children, ICA officers will facilitate on-board immigration via a dedicated bus lane, similar to the procedure for bus passengers.
A similar initiative is being considered at the Woodlands Checkpoint to ease traffic congestion, but the ICA said operational constraints related to the terrain make it unfeasible at this time.
It added: “ICA will continue to study current processes and look for ways to improve the traveler experience. We ask for travelers’ understanding, patience, and cooperation with ICA personnel at checkpoints.” added.
In a statement issued on 19 December 2023, ICA highlighted the huge traffic volume between Singapore and Malaysia, with daily traffic from 15 to 17 December 2023 reaching nearly 435,000 trips. The number of cases exceeded the number for the same period in 2019 by almost 30,000.
Ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, the ICA had predicted “very busy conditions” at land checkpoints until the end of the year.
Travelers using cars to go through immigration have been advised that they may experience wait times of up to three hours.
ICA’s decision causes a stir on social media, with diverse opinions coming to light
The move to convert MPVs into bus lanes at the Tuas checkpoint generated a lot of feedback on social media, with many expressing support for the decision.
In it, user Chris Chen wrote, “Well done ICA, keep up the good work! This is a long awaited move and I hope it becomes permanent! Please make it 24 hours a day! Please make this move a full-fledged one. We will support you!”, he praised ICA.
Another user named Peace highlighted the previous misuse of bus lanes by certain MPV models, writing, “These Starlexes and Vellfires always wanted to use bus lanes to cut queues, so now they’re officially on bus lanes.” You can now use it. Good luck, ICA!”
However, another user, Su Hsiang, expressed concern about the potential traffic impact in Woodlands, saying: ‘That’s good, but I don’t know if those MPVs will be diverted to Woodlands instead. ” That could cause a traffic jam in Woodland later. ”
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