MyPaper
30 Jun 2008 
English
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I REFER to the letter “Why are travellers on foot not allowed through Tuas exit?” (my paper, June 12).

The Tuas Checkpoint is designed as a vehicular checkpoint. By this, we mean that all travellers passing through the checkpoint have to continue the journey in their vehicles after immigration and customs clearance.

Therefore, travellers must enter Tuas Checkpoint in a vehicle and leave the checkpoint in the same vehicle that they have entered Singapore.

If they wish to board a public bus after leaving the checkpoint, they may alight at any designated bus stops along the city-bound carriageway of Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim. There are signages displayed prominently at the arrival bus passenger boarding concourse to inform the travellers of this.

Travellers who need to use the Tuas Checkpoint to travel into and/or out of Singapore may also take the public bus service CW3, which plys between Jurong East Bus Interchange and Larkin in Johor Baru via Tuas Checkpoint.

Mrs Ong-Kong Yong Sin
Senior Public & Internal Communications Executive
for Commissioner
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority


Why are travellers on foot not allowed through Tuas exit?

My paper
12 Jun 2008


I WOULD like to seek clarification on the issue of entering and leaving the Tuas Checkpoint.

I was told by an officer that nobody is allowed to enter or leave the said checkpoint by foot due to security reasons.

He advised me to go to Jurong East Bus Interchange to take service CW3, a public bus service run by Malaysia, so as to enter the checkpoint for custom clearance.

However, this does not make sense for residents who live in nearby HDB estates, such as Jurong West, where there are direct bus services to Tuas Bus Terminal, which is near the checkpoint.

They can alight at the terminal and walk to the checkpoint. If they were to take service CW3 from Jurong East Bus Interchange, they would have to first take a bus or train to the interchange.

Currently, those taking private coaches are required to disembark and walk to the checkpoint for custom clearance, so why is it that people are not allowed to walk to the checkpoint from the nearby Tuas Bus Terminal?

I hope the authorities can consider the issues that I have raised, in view of the bus transfer hassle for residents who live nearby.

Mr Lee Ju Tong