SINGAPORE, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Monday warned of "very heavy traffic" at its land checkpoints with Malaysia during the upcoming Chinese New Year period.
In a statement, the ICA advised travelers to "expect delays and factor in additional time for immigration clearance" from Jan. 24 to Feb. 2, citing ongoing enhanced checks.
The authority highlighted the surge in travel experienced during the recent year-end school holidays when more than 24 million travelers crossed the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, a 20 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.
On Dec. 20, 2024, a record-breaking 562,000 crossings were recorded in a single day, surpassing the previous high of over 553,000 on Dec. 13, 2024. "Car travelers departing during peak periods had to wait up to three hours for immigration clearance, due to traffic tailback from Malaysia," the ICA noted.
The ICA also provided a list of recommendations to ensure smoother journeys, including checking that passports have at least six months' validity and avoiding prohibited or controlled items. ■