Malaysia-Singapore has one of the world’s busiest land checkpoints. The number of travellers crossing the border daily ranges from 430,000 to 450,000, according to The Straits Times.
To reduce the congestion, a QR code system will implemented to streamline immigration clearance for Malaysians traveling to Singapore on factory buses.
Workers on these buses will generate a QR code using a mobile application, which officials will scan for each traveller.
However, these travellers still have to carry their passports despite the introduction of the QR code system, as the systems in Malaysia and Singapore currently operate independently and are not yet integrated.
According to Channel News Asia, citing Johor’s Works, Transportation and Infrastructure committee, this new system will be implemented in June at both Bangunan Sultan Iskandar and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar, the immigration complexes linked to the Johor-Singapore Causeway and Tuas Second Link respectively.
This initiative, part of a January agreement to establish a special economic zone between Johor and Singapore, aims to facilitate travel for the hundreds of thousands of passengers who cross the causeway daily for various reasons such as work, education, business, and family visits. Typically, wait times at these checkpoints can extend to hours during peak periods.
Following a similar approach adopted in Singapore, where passengers in a single car have been able to use one QR code for clearance since March, this measure has been well-received by travellers for significantly reducing immigration clearance time.
