The Busiest Land Crossing in Southeast Asia: Part #2 - Adjustments & Rethinking for Daily Commuters

Continuing from our first post on the closing of the Johor-Singapore crossing, drastic adjustments and rethinking for Malaysian commuting daily to the Singapore for work. As swathes of people flock the causeway into the city-state, Singapore authorities and employers scramble to facilitate temporary accommodation. Many workers who successfully crossed the border had to sleep rough at train stations (see picture). Those left behind were later allowed to resume work in Singapore.

Accordingly, Singaporean online public interest in matters related the Johor-Singapore crossing lockdown spiked around the time when the Movement Control Order was announced (17 Mar 2020) and enforced (18 Mar 2020) (see graph and map).

On our previous post about the Johor-Singapore crossing see Part #1.

The Busiest Land Crossing in Southeast Asia: Part #1 - Virus Closes It

At the stroke of midnight on 18 Mar 2020, the Johor-Singapore border sealed shut following the enforcement of the two-week Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia. The MCO left one of the busiest land crossing in the world strangely empty the following morning, a stark contrast from the night before when Malaysians workers scrambled to cross into the city-state before the borders were closed.

Data from the Beat the Jam! app shows a comparison between the time typically taken to clear the immigration checkpoints and the time taken on 17-18 Mar 2020. Also see photos showing the difference in traffic congestion on the Causeway at midnight and the morning of 18 Mar 2020.

On the next post about the Johor-Singapore crossing, see Part #2.