JOHOR BAHRU, BUKIT KAYU HITAM: The immigration checkpoints at Tuas and Woodlands in Singapore are expected to be crowded for the next two weekends – Christmas and New Year Eve.

Singapore’s immigration department says in a statement that more than 1.3 million people went through the Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints between 15 to 17 December.

On average, 435,000 people went through the checkpoints each day, 30,000 more than the corresponding period in 2019.

As both Christmas and New Year fall on Monday, the Singapore authorities remind members of the public that traffic congestion is expected at both checkpoints due to the long weekends, and that motorists may have to wait up to three hours for immigration clearance.

Singapore immigration department suggests that motorists check with Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) OneMotoring traffic management website as well as social media for the latest traffic update.

Motorists are reminded to avoid cutting queue as this could lead to severe traffic congestion.

The same situation is also expected up north in Kedah.

Kedah Immigration Department Director Mohd Ridzzuan Mohd Zain has reminded members of the public to plan their travels in advance with the required travel documents, as the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex at Bukit Kayu Hitam and Kota Putra in Durian Burung, Padang Terap are expected to be crowded during the next two weekends.

As the school holidays started last Friday, more than 80,000 motorists travelled to Thailand through Bukit Kayu Hitam and Kota Putra checkpoints.

Mohd Ridzzuan said the checkpoints had been experiencing unusual congestion since 15 December.

To ease congestion, the immigration department has increased the number of service counters, said Mohd Ridzzuan on Kedah Immigration Facebook.