Heads‑Up: The September School Holidays Are Bringing a Traffic Bottleneck!
Hey travel buffs! If you’re gearing up for the gap‑year break, buckle up—both the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints are about to throw a traffic tantrum. Previous summer snags have been the norm, but this September is looking a little “ready‑for‑the‑world‑tour” heavy.
Why the Delay?
- Road‑run ramp‑up – the traffic has been steadily zooming back to pre‑COVID numbers.
- John‑s‑lucky weekend – on Aug 26–28, over 313,000 people went through both checkpoints daily. That’s a first‑ever hammer‑hit above the last National Day peak of 302,000.
What You Can Do
- Plan a buffer—give yourself at least 30 minutes extra for those border gates.
- Check the traffic app for updates; a digital detour can save you a graveyard of crashes.
- Take a light lunch break if you land at the gates late – it keeps the vibes relaxed.
Bottom line: shift your travel plans a smidge, pack a snack, and enjoy the relaxed weekend vibes without the dreaded stop‑and‑go. Let’s make the September vacation smoother than a textbook’s gold‑star badge!
Heads Up: Traffic’s About to Get a Whole Lot Worse This September
Snagging a seat on the road during the September school break is shaping up to be as smooth as a ripple in a stormy sea. From Sept 2 – 11, 2022, car‑goers heading in and out of the land checkpoints will find themselves caught in a wave of congestion that’s growing stronger by the minute.
Why the Baggage Is Building Up
- During the 2019 peak of the same school holiday, commuters could spend up to 90 minutes waiting to clear immigration at the checkpoints. The traffic has been on a steady incline since then.
- Part of the slowdown comes from the Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia’s upgrade of their car immigration booths at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar, which began on June 6. Booths currently undergoing renovations are simply not open for use.
Pro Tips to Keep Your Ride (and Your Sanity) Safe
- Give yourself extra travel time. Expect queues that could stretch much longer than a line for the newest iPhone.
- Plan to leave a little earlier or later than typical peak windows to dodge the thickest traffic.
- Keep an eye on real‑time traffic updates using the Motorist app’s Checkpoint feature. It estimates the wait time in the immigration queue and notifies you when customs checks on fuel are needed.
Take Advantage of the App
While we can’t magically shorten the line, the Motorist app can workaround the wait by letting you strategise your travel schedule. Download the app using the link below and make your road trip a little less stressful.
