When a "First World" Immigration Checkpoint takes your particulars manually

[Leepotism]

'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.

 

[Leepotism]

Travellers leaving Singapore by Woodlands or Tuas Checkpoint will be able to know in advance the traffic situation from the Land Transport Authority's Expressway Monitoring & Advisory System.

Another driver, Mr Selvaraja Ramasamy, 45, told TNP that yesterday's jam started after he cleared the Malaysian Customs.

Said the logistics officer: "When I reached the Causeway from JB at 9.30am, the traffic was crawling. At one point, it completely stopped for nearly an hour.
"I reached the Singapore immigration checkpoint only at 11am but by then, I could see that the systems there were operational."

Previously, the Causeway had been plagued by traffic congestion.

But those instances came after the authorities beefed up security following cases of non-Singaporeans trying to enter the country without immigration clearance.

(The system) 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.

- ICA spokesman

 

[steffychun]

PAP would say this is WP's fault--their First World.

 

[Satyr]

Who's running their systems ? IBM ? NCS ?

 

[johnny333]

Even Mustaffa turns customers away when the shopping centre reaches the maximum capacity.

How about Spore Is there a maximum limit in place

 

[Leepotism]

Even Mustaffa turns customers away when the shopping centre reaches the maximum capacity.

How about Spore Is there a maximum limit in place

There's no turning back for PAP even if all systems no go.

 

[makapaaa]

Who's running their systems ? IBM ? NCS ?

Does it make a difference when both are probably outsourced to Indian and other FTrash with fake qualifications.

 

[laksaboy]

Even Mustaffa turns customers away when the shopping centre reaches the maximum capacity.

How about Spore Is there a maximum limit in place

Is there a limit to greed? What do you think?

 

[blissquek]

Even Mustaffa turns customers away when the shopping centre reaches the maximum capacity.

How about Spore Is there a maximum limit in place

That's what happen to Little India..

First they forgot to keep count and keep on giving out liquor licenses .

Then they forgot to keep count how many Ah nehs can be squeeze into one Km square...

In such a situation all u need is a trigger and all hell will break loose.

 

[Luvurbaht]

Nothing very wrong with this. Its like with women, when everything else fails then use your hands.

 

[songsongjurong]

 

[songsongjurong]

Another major system upgrading to tune of $400million, maintenance $20million yearly