Mobile toilets for those caught
in causeway jams
South China Morning Post. Oct 15, 1997.
IAN STEWART in Kuala Lumpur
SINGAPORE has stationed mobile toilets on roads leading to the
Causeway linking it with Malaysia to meet the needs of motorists caught
in severe traffic jams, which each country blames the other for causing.
The border congestion, which has trapped people in cars, buses and trucks for up to five hours, has been caused by stricter Customs checks by both sides.
The Malaysians have stepped up their scrutiny of trucks going to Singapore to combat smuggling and evasion of export duties, while Singaporeans are making sure their countrymen visiting Malaysia comply with rules on purchases abroad.
The Singapore Government recently announced it would impose a three per cent tax on all purchases over S$200 (HK$1,000) from Malaysia.
The action by the Customs officers coincides with a sharp rise in cross-border traffic. Singaporeans have flooded into Malaysia's border city of Johore Baru for shopping bargains and an increasing number of Malaysian trucks has been heading to Singapore ahead of this week's Budget.
The lack of action to resolve the congestion may reflect Singapore's preference for its people to shop in the republic, where the retail industry has been hit by a drop in tourist spending, and Malaysia's desire to have goods exported through its own ports rather than Singapore.
Published in the South China Morning Post. Oct 15, 1997