Immigration clearance rate at Woodlands higher with automated lanes

The use of automated lanes at the Woodlands Checkpoint has allowed 1,000 more bus travellers per hour to clear immigration during the evening departure peak period.

- Zhaki Abdullah

This is a 20 per cent increase from the pre-pandemic period in 2019, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Saturday, the first day of the school holiday, when the number of travellers at the checkpoints typically increases.

ICA said automated immigration clearance has become the default at the bus halls of Singapore's land checkpoints, allowing for officers to be deployed to other areas requiring more support.

The Woodlands Checkpoint bus hall currently has seven manual lanes and 68 automated clearance lanes, of which 28 are bi-directional, meaning they can be adjusted to accommodate for crowds departing or arriving in Singapore.

About 242,000 travellers pass through the Woodlands Checkpoint every day, of whom almost 100,000 are bus travellers.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Colin Tan, who is commander of ICA's Woodlands Command, said more automated lanes will be introduced progressively over the next year.