Numbers back to healthy levels
Up to 450,000 daily users recorded at Johor’s two land checkpoints
JOHOR BARU: The number of daily travellers using Johor’s two land checkpoints with Singapore have exceeded the pre-covid-19 levels, says the Immigration Department.
Johor Immigration director Baharuddin Tahir said the daily average at both the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) customs, immigration and quarantine complexes currently range from 430,000 to 450,000 daily users on average.
“This is a significant increase from the previous 400,000 average daily travellers recorded before Covid-19 a few years ago,” he told a press conference at the state Immigration headquarters in Setia Tropika here yesterday.
He was asked to comment on Tuesday’s meeting with Regent of Johor Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, who met Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and top officials from the state government and federal agencies to discuss operations at the two land checkpoints.
Baharuddin, who was part of the audience, said the Regent was concerned about the situation at BSI and KSAB as the two land checkpoints are dubbed the busiest in the world.
“I have instructed my team to come up with the best formula and methods to address the traffic situation there as the Causeway and Second Link checkpoints also contribute to the nation’s economy,” he said.
Baharuddin said the rise in travellers was also seen during the Chinese New Year period.
“On the first two days of the festive period this year, about 400,000 travellers went through the two checkpoints compared to about 370,000 to 380,000 travellers during the same period last year,” he added.
Each day, hundreds of thousands of people commute across the border via motorcycle, bus and private vehicles to work in Singapore.