16-6-2023 (SINGAPORE) In a recent Facebook video uploaded on June 14, a Singapore-registered black Mercedes was captured slipping through the barricades at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) complex, bypassing the designated lanes and heading towards Johor.
After successfully crossing over, the driver exited his vehicle and waved at the driver behind him, seemingly expressing gratitude for allowing him to cut the queue. The video also showed him moving a road cone, which presumably had been placed to block the gap in the barricades, and returning it to its original position after passing through.
On the same day, another Facebook post showcased a similar incident involving a Singapore-registered blue Honda Fit near the CIQ. The driver in question had exploited the bus lane to bypass the queue, but upon realizing that a barricade obstructed his way back into the car lane, he exited his vehicle and moved the barricade aside before resuming his drive in the car lane.
Angry netizens took to the comments section to express their condemnation of the drivers’ actions, with some even suggesting that they should be banned from entering Johor Bahru.
This incident comes after the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced in April that continuous double white lines would be implemented to demarcate the two lanes on the viaduct leading to Woodlands Checkpoint. The move was a response to drivers utilizing the motorcycle lane to jump ahead of the queue of cars waiting for immigration clearance, thereby exacerbating congestion and increasing travel time at the checkpoint.
ICA also revealed that enforcement cameras have been installed along the viaduct to identify vehicles that cross the double white lines, in violation of traffic regulations. Offenders caught on camera face a fine of $150 and four demerit points.
