Nation

Chaos at Woodlands Checkpoint: Car and Bus Collide in Pivotal Traffic Mishap!

2025-05-24

Author: John Tan

SINGAPORE - In a shocking turn of events, a serious traffic accident unfolded at the Woodlands Checkpoint early on May 24, leaving four people hospitalized.

The chaos erupted around 5:28 AM when a Singapore-registered car collided with a Malaysian bus just at the Causeway. Witnesses were left stunned as ICA officers swiftly arrived on the scene to assist and manage the increasing traffic backlog.

Fortunately, the driver of the car and his three passengers were taken to the hospital conscious, while the bus passengers escaped any injuries. The bus driver even declined medical assistance, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

In a serious tone, ICA declared, “This accident should not have happened. ICA is treating it very seriously, and we are assisting the Traffic Police in their investigation.” They further explained that contraflow traffic management operations were in place to combat peak hour congestion, an increasingly common issue due to the high volume of vehicles during busy periods.

The ICA had converted the departure lane for heavy vehicles into an arrival lane to facilitate smoother traffic flow. However, when traffic volumes soared, part of the cargo zone was also redirected to ease overall congestion along the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE).

In an ironic twist, the colliding vehicles were both affected by the ongoing contraflow operations, which, shockingly, had begun before safety barriers were set up. This oversight was a clear violation of ICA’s established safety protocols.

In response to this alarming incident, ICA promptly suspended all contraflow operations over the weekend, putting a safety pause in place. They assured the public, “We will comprehensively review our safety measures before restarting contraflow operations. Motorists can expect delays, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.”

This accident serves as a critical reminder of the importance of adhering to safety measures in high-traffic areas. Only time will tell how this incident impacts future traffic management strategies at one of Singapore’s busiest checkpoints.