S’pore-Malaysia border travel: QR code trial at Causeway to be extended to all forms of transportation

A trial allowing Malaysians travelling by bus or motorcycles to clear the Singapore-Johor border with QR codes instead of passports will be extended to other forms of transportation at the Causeway in 2025.

The trial is slated to last from June 1 to Nov 30 at the Johor Bahru checkpoints at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB), which are linked to Singapore by the Causeway and Tuas Second Link respectively.

The QR code system, used by travellers who make up over 80 per cent of the 400,000 daily crossings, has highly effectively eased border traffic congestion during peak hours, Malaysia’s Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said on Nov 18 at the Bukit Aman police headquarters.

For example, the waiting time for motorcycles has been shortened from eight seconds to five, the Free Malaysia Today news site reported. This means over 750 motorcyclists have been able to clear immigration in one hour, up from the previous 500 to 600.

“We expect the Johor Causeway to handle 150 million travellers throughout the year based on current data. Currently, the figure stands at 116 million annually,” Mr Saifuddin was quoted as saying by the Malay Mail.

The government also hopes to finalise the decision on the procurement of the QR code system in 2024, he added.

The press conference was held after a special meeting to address the Johor Causeway traffic congestion. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof, Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, and Deputy Inspector-General of Police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.