SINGAPORE, Dec 18 — Travellers heading to Malaysia during the December holiday period have been warned to brace for longer waits at Singapore’s land borders, as intensified checks against the smuggling of e-vaporisers continue at both the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints.

Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a statement today that the stepped-up enforcement measures — aimed at preventing the illegal import of e-vaporisers, which are banned in Singapore — are expected to lengthen immigration clearance times, particularly during peak travel hours. 

The warning comes after heavy traffic during the first week of the year-end school holidays, between November 21 and 27, when more than 3.6 million travellers crossed the two land checkpoints. On November 21 alone, over 555,000 travellers cleared immigration via Woodlands and Tuas.

Motorists departing Singapore during peak periods faced waiting times of up to three hours to clear immigration, with the ICA attributing the delays partly to traffic tailbacks from the Malaysian side.

With December travel expected to remain heavy, the ICA urged travellers to monitor traffic conditions before setting off. 

Updates are available through the Land Transport Authority’s One Motoring website, the Expressway Motoring and Advisory System along the Bukit Timah Expressway and Ayer Rajah Expressway, as well as the ICA’s Facebook and X accounts. Traffic advisories are also broadcast on SPH and Mediacorp radio stations.

For those who must travel during peak periods, the ICA advised considering cross-border bus services as an alternative to driving, noting that this could help avoid congestion at the checkpoints.