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Straits Times
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Car and bus collide after ICA opens contra-flow at Woodlands Checkpoint before barriers put in place
A departing Singapore-registered car collided with an arriving Malaysia-registered bus along the Causeway at about 5.30am on May 24. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM MALAYSIA-SINGAPORE BORDER CROSSERS - GROUP 2/FACEBOOK Car and bus collide after ICA opens contra-flow at Woodlands Checkpoint before barriers put in place SINGAPORE - Four people were taken to hospital following a traffic accident at the Woodlands Checkpoint early on May 24. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that about 5.28am, a departing Singapore-registered car collided with an arriving Malaysia-registered bus along the Causeway. ICA officers immediately responded to the accident to render assistance and manage the traffic situation. Both the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and police were also activated. The driver of the car and his three passengers were taken conscious to hospital. There were no reported injuries among the bus passengers, and the driver of the bus declined medical assistance, said ICA. 'This accident should not have happened. ICA is treating it very seriously, and we are assisting the Traffic Police who are investigating the accident,' it added. ICA said it was conducting contraflow traffic management operations at the Singapore side of the Causeway to ease traffic congestion during the daily peak, due to high traffic volume and infrastructural constraints at the land checkpoints. This includes converting the departure lane for heavy vehicles at the Causeway into an arrival lane to expedite the arrival of heavy vehicles which might be blocking traffic along the Causeway. During this time, should the departing car traffic surge, part of the departure cargo zone may be converted to clear cars departing Woodlands Checkpoint to minimise the tailback of traffic along the BKE. As part of ICA's safety procedures, barriers are set up to divert departing car traffic away from the contraflow lane. However, in this accident, preliminary investigations found that the contraflow operation was activated before barriers were put in place, which ICA said was not in accordance with its safety procedures. After the accident, ICA immediately implemented a safety pause by suspending contraflow operations at both land checkpoints over the weekend. 'We will comprehensively review our safety measures before restarting the contraflow operations. Motorists can expect some delays in the interim and we apologise for any inconvenience,' said ICA. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
The Star
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Accident at Woodlands Checkpoint causes three-hour lane closure; four people taken to hospital
A silver-coloured MPV appeared to have collided with a Causeway Link bus. -- PHOTOS: CUSTOM & MSIA ROAD/TELEGRAM, SCREENGRAB FROM MALAYSIA-SINGAPORE BORDER CROSSERS - GROUP 2/FACEBOOK SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Four people were taken to the hospital after an accident involving a car and a bus at Woodlands Checkpoint on the morning of Saturday (May 24). It also resulted in a lane closure for three hours, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). In response to queries, the police said they were alerted to the accident at Woodlands Crossing at 5.30am. A 48-year-old male car driver and his three passengers, aged between 14 and 78, were taken conscious to the hospital, the police added. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said two people were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital while another two were taken to Sengkang General Hospital. In a video uploaded on Facebook group Malaysia-Singapore Border Crossers Group 2, at least three ambulances, one fire engine, two SCDF support vehicles and several rescue workers can be seen at the scene. A silver-coloured MPV, which has a badly dented bonnet, appears to have collided with a Causeway Link bus. In its first alert on Facebook at 6.10am, ICA said the accident blocked one out of three lanes leading into the Causeway. At about 7.53am, ICA said all three lanes were blocked for 15 minutes to allow SCDF to wash the oil spillage at the accident site. More than 15 minutes later, it updated that the spillage had been cleaned and two out of three lanes were opened for vehicles departing for Johor Bahru. At 9.09am, ICA said all lanes were open for departing traffic. 'Travellers planning to depart Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint should expect delays,' it said, adding that motorists are advised to follow its Facebook page for updates. Police investigations are ongoing. - The Straits Times/Asia News Network
