SINGAPORE — While travellers had reported waiting times of up to five hours during the massive jam at the Causeway last week, records suggest that waiting time is likely to be under three hours on the Singapore side, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.

Mr Shanmugam also said in a statement to the media today (Dec 21) that as a result of the Paris terror attacks, “ensuring the safety of Singapore and Singaporeans is ICA’s (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) foremost priority”. “We have to check passports and vehicles,” he said.

Mr Shanmugam, who visited the Woodlands Checkpoint during the morning peak hour on Saturday, said that a waiting time of four to five hours likely included waiting time on the Malaysian side. During his visit on Saturday, the passengers and drivers he spoke to reported an average waiting time of between one to 1.5 hours.

Pointing out that the ICA has stepped up on resources to manage the peak-period crowds, he also refuted the accounts of travellers who reported that some counters were closed. “Based on the increased manning, all or most counters are open,” said Mr Shanmugam, noting some counters may close during shift changes, bathroom breaks, or when a staff member is re-deployed to a busier area.