'Officers were taking my particulars manually'
A traffic jam along the Woodlands Causeway at about 6pm on 22 January 2014 near the Woodlands Checkpoint.
As a regular visitor to Johor Baru (JB), Mr Mohamamad Sahlan Mohamad Basirun is used to traffic build-ups during peak hours at the Woodlands Checkpoint.
But yesterday was different.
He makes morning trips across the Causeway because he can be "back in Singapore in 30 minutes even during peak hours".
But yesterday, he had to wait nearly an hour when he tried to make his way back from JB at 9.45am.
Said the technical officer, 40: "An officer, who was stationed outside the Woodlands Checkpoint, told drivers that the network system was down.
"When I finally got to the immigration checkpoint at 10.40am, the officer at the counter was taking my particulars manually."
An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) spokesman told The New Paper that its system had "experienced intermittent slowdown between 10am and 10.45am".
"As the slowdown coincided with the peak period, there was crowd build-up at the Woodlands Checkpoint. More resources were immediately deployed at the Woodlands Checkpoint," she added.
Advisory Issued
ICA had issued a travel advisory on July 17 informing motorists that traffic through the land checkpoints would be heavy because of the upcoming Hari Raya Puasa holiday, which falls on Monday.
Motorists were advised to check on the traffic situation at both checkpoints before leaving home.
As a regular visitor to Johor Baru (JB), Mr Mohamamad Sahlan Mohamad Basirun is used to traffic build-ups during peak hours at the Woodlands Checkpoint.
But yesterday was different.
He makes morning trips across the Causeway because he can be "back in Singapore in 30 minutes even during peak hours".
But yesterday, he had to wait nearly an hour when he tried to make his way back from JB at 9.45am.
Said the technical officer, 40: "An officer, who was stationed outside the Woodlands Checkpoint, told drivers that the network system was down.
"When I finally got to the immigration checkpoint at 10.40am, the officer at the counter was taking my particulars manually."
An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) spokesman told The New Paper that its system had "experienced intermittent slowdown between 10am and 10.45am".
"As the slowdown coincided with the peak period, there was crowd build-up at the Woodlands Checkpoint. More resources were immediately deployed at the Woodlands Checkpoint," she added.
Advisory Issued
ICA had issued a travel advisory on July 17 informing motorists that traffic through the land checkpoints would be heavy because of the upcoming Hari Raya Puasa holiday, which falls on Monday.
Motorists were advised to check on the traffic situation at both checkpoints before leaving home.
Is there a maximum limit in place
