Something needs to be done about those Singapore-Johor Causeway jams

IT was not a pleasant sight - a photo of a woman defecating on the roadside of the Johor-Singapore Causeway, her modesty shielded only by a male companion squatting behind her.

The incident, the photo of which was posted on social media, took place during a particularly busy period between Christmas and New Year's Day, when some people complained that it took them five hours to cross from Singapore to Johor Bahru. Thankfully, the picture was taken from the back and the couple were not identifiable. If anything positive should come out of this, it is the hope that the disturbing image will spur the Malaysia and Singapore authorities into doing something more for the tens of thousands of people who traverse between Johor and Singapore daily.

Singapore is famed for its efficiency in clearing inbound and outbound travellers and cargo, and regularly wins international accolades for having the best seaport and airport in the world. Yet our land border crossings have a Third World feel, accentuated by scores of ill-disciplined and impatient motorists who jump queue with no regard for the lack of traffic enforcement on the roads between the checkpoints.

It is not fair, of course, to compare our land entry points with those for sea and air. The Singapore Cruise Centre, Singapore Changi Airport and the smaller Seletar Airport operate on scheduled arrivals and departures, which allows for precise planning in immigration clearance. Land traffic, on the other hand, is fluid, unpredictable and, most problematically, heavy. Regular traffic jams at checkpoints that stretch well over an hour have become more frequent; they even last almost round the clock during major holidays.

This is hardly surprising. The Causeway is the second busiest land border crossing in the world after Gongbei Checkpoint, which links mainland China and Macau. The Tuas Second Link was built in 1998 to alleviate the situation, and for a while, it did. But it has been 22 years since and the number of users has kept growing.

To be sure, there have been improvements in infrastructure at both ends of the Causeway; operational efficiencies, such as the move to carry out Singapore customs checks on inbound cars before they reach the immigrations booths rather than after, have also been put in place.

But these alone cannot overcome the existing physical constraints, and it is clear that a quantum leap in connectivity is needed. This is why the Rapid Transit System linking Woodlands to Johor Bahru and the High Speed Rail that runs from Jurong East to Bandar Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur are sorely needed.

Unfortunately, both projects have been put on ice over cost issues. The Malaysian government's desire to lower costs, for example, by ditching the original plan for a mass rapid transit system in favour of a light rail transit system, is plainly short-sighted.

Even if the Malaysians do finally go ahead, it will take years before the projects will come to fruition.

Meanwhile, what can be done for motorists caught in a jam when nature calls urgently? At the very least, some thought should be given to providing portable toilets along certain stretches of the Causeway and the Second Link. To recover costs for their upkeep, these facilities can be coin- or card-operated.

With the Chinese New Year holidays looming, travellers may want to pack along adult diapers, wet wipes, biohazard bags, sanitisers and air freshener.