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Singapore has made it easier for people to cross into the city through two land checkpoints. Instead of showing passports, the drivers can now just scan the QR code and enter into the city through two checkpoints, significantly reducing the wait time.
From March 19, people will be able to cross into Singapore through two checkpoints – Woodlands and Tuas – by scanning through a QR code system which, Bloomberg reported, generate prior to arriving.
The same QR code can also be used for all persons in the vehicle, the nation’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority said in a statement.
Overall wait times, which can often stretch to hours in busy periods when workers are trying to cross the border from Malaysia, should be reduced by around 30% if most car travelers use the QR code for clearance, the authority said.
Singapore will also extend the passport-free clearance to other land checkpoints with Malaysia, further easing congestion at what is one of the world’s busiest border crossings.
The decision to make crossing easier for people has come as travel has picked up after Covid-19 pandemic. Singapore, according to a report, is also deploying new technologies at Changi Airport.
Residents and visitors leaving the island will progressively be able to clear those checkpoints without having to use their passports either.
The government said last year that manual counters at all passenger halls will gradually be replaced by about 800 automated lanes using a new contactless automated border control system from the first quarter of 2024. The system was trialled at Changi Airport’s Terminal 4 in 2019. Some 5.43 million people passed through Singapore’s main airport in January.
Tuesday’s move should also help pave the way for the upcoming Rapid Transit Link project between Singapore and Johor Bahru in Malaysia. The project, with a peak capacity of up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction, is expected to up and running by the end of 2026.
(With agency inputs)
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Published: 12 Mar 2024, 06:27 PM IST
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