The Straits Times Online

5 March 2014

 

Checkpoint officers given sufficient rest

 
WE THANK Mr Raymond Koh Bock Swi ("Causeway bottleneck a nightmare for motorists") and Mr Arthur Lim Teck Meng ("Review operational procedures at checkpoints") for their Forum Online feedback on Feb 22.
 

The convergence of vehicles at the exit points after clearance is essential for the security of our checkpoint. This infrastructural design has been in place since the Woodlands land checkpoint was commissioned in 1999.

 
Nevertheless, we will continue to explore ways to improve our checkpoint infrastructure and work processes to enhance the experience of travellers, while maintaining border security.

 
We remind motorists not to tailgate and to keep a safe distance from the car ahead when travelling within the checkpoint.

 

The Woodlands Checkpoint is one of the world's busiest checkpoints, with more than 300,000 people and 130,000 vehicles passing through daily.

 

Immigration & Checkpoints Authority officers work on shifts to meet this challenging demand, and they are given sufficient rest during their shifts. Officers are also monitored by their supervisors for signs of fatigue. Regular advice and updates on fatigue management are also disseminated to the officers.

 

We seek the continued cooperation and understanding of all travellers when using the checkpoints.

 

Vincent Ng

Head, Public & Internal Communications

Corporate Communications Division

Immigration & Checkpoints Authority

<Original Letter>

The Straits Times Online

22 February 2014

 

 
Causeway bottleneck a nightmare for motorists

 
I DROVE home from Malaysia last week and faced a nightmare clearing immigration on the Singapore side of the Causeway.

 
It being a weekday and having arrived just before noon, I thought there would be no hassle. But it took me 90 minutes to pass through the Singapore immigration and Customs.

 

Ironically, all the immigration bays were open and the officers did their work swiftly. Similarly, the Customs officers checked all cars with great efficiency.

 

The root of the problem was a bottleneck between the immigration booth and Customs bay.

 

Imagine a work line with 20 immigration booths processing a constant flow of cars, which then merge into two rows leading to the Customs bay, and then into a single file prior to the Customs inspection.

 
To make matters worse, there were four to five rows of motorcycles alongside the single row of cars in the queue. This situation is unacceptable as it is dangerous for the motorcyclists queueing within inches of one another. If a motorcyclist loses his balance, he could be run over by a car.

 

The bottleneck also adds to environmental pollution, which the officers on duty and motorcyclists have to endure.

 
Lastly, the bumper-to-bumper traffic, and resultant honking and flared tempers, creates a poor impression of Singapore in the minds of visitors.

 

The bottleneck was not present before the recent checkpoint breach. Surely, this cannot be the intention of the authorities in beefing up checks.

 
I hope the authorities will quickly fix this man-made, non-security-related problem at the Causeway.

 

Raymond Koh Bock Swi

 

 

<Original Letter>

 
The Straits Times Online

22 February 2014

 

 
Review operational procedures at checkpoints

 

WHILE it is important to take disciplinary action against the officers responsible for the breach in border security at Woodlands Checkpoint, we should look at how the police and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority operate at our checkpoints ("Checkpoint breach: Poor responses, judgment"; Tuesday).

 
Is there adequate staff to man the checkpoints? How long are their shifts? Are they mentally and physically fatigued, to the extent that the tendency to make mistakes is higher compared to that in other occupations? Should the shifts be shorter in duration with more breaks in between, so that they will be more alert?

 
Lastly, should the operational procedures be reviewed to ensure that the officers have the support required, in order to function effectively?

 
I don't think it is fair to just reassure people that those responsible have been disciplined. Were adequate processes in place to ensure they had a chance of doing a thorough and competent job?

 
If not, then it is not correct to blame only those directly responsible, when there should be collective responsibility, starting from the top, to identify and fix any lapses in the modus operandi.

 
Arthur Lim Teck Meng