Marina Bay cruise centre plagued by gridlock due to swell of passengers
Swell of passengers when ships dock can cause a bottleneck of vehicles
PUBLISHED ON APR 16, 2014 8:00 AM
Travellers disembarking from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in January. Passengers at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore have complained about long waits at the immigration checkpoints, and for taxis. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
BY MELISSA LIN
Traffic on the roads around the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS) came to a standstill last Thursday when two large cruise ships docked at the passenger seaport on the same morning.
Between them, the luxury liner Queen Mary II of the Cunard Cruise Line and Voyager of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean International, can take more than 5,000 passengers. It created a bottleneck of vehicles arriving and going.
Though Thursday's incident was especially protracted, traffic congestion is one of a string of problems to plague MBCCS since it began operations in May 2012.
Passengers have complained about long waits at the immigration checkpoints, and for taxis.
BACKGROUND STORY
HEAVY TRAFFIC
The car moved forward slowly
before we got to the building. Then
the carpark was full.
– Mr Sam Hare, who was stuck in a jam on the Marina Coastal Drive for 45 minutes on
Thursday
TURN-OFF FOR TOURISTS
As much as we position ourselves as
a international cruise hub, visitors’
experience may be dented if they
can’t get out from the cruise centre
to the city.
– Ms Alicia Seah, Dynasty Travel’s director of
marketing communications
Swell of passengers when ships dock can cause a bottleneck of vehicles
PUBLISHED ON APR 16, 2014 8:00 AM
Travellers disembarking from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in January. Passengers at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore have complained about long waits at the immigration checkpoints, and for taxis. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
BY MELISSA LIN
Traffic on the roads around the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS) came to a standstill last Thursday when two large cruise ships docked at the passenger seaport on the same morning.
Between them, the luxury liner Queen Mary II of the Cunard Cruise Line and Voyager of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean International, can take more than 5,000 passengers. It created a bottleneck of vehicles arriving and going.
Though Thursday's incident was especially protracted, traffic congestion is one of a string of problems to plague MBCCS since it began operations in May 2012.
Passengers have complained about long waits at the immigration checkpoints, and for taxis.
BACKGROUND STORY
HEAVY TRAFFIC
The car moved forward slowly
before we got to the building. Then
the carpark was full.
– Mr Sam Hare, who was stuck in a jam on the Marina Coastal Drive for 45 minutes on
Thursday
TURN-OFF FOR TOURISTS
As much as we position ourselves as
a international cruise hub, visitors’
experience may be dented if they
can’t get out from the cruise centre
to the city.
– Ms Alicia Seah, Dynasty Travel’s director of
marketing communications
