Major Glitch at Johor's Autogates Due to Network Switch Failure: What You Need to Know

JOHOR BAHRU – A significant operational disruption unfolded at Johor's primary border checkpoint, the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI), as all autogates failed due to a faulty network core switch. This incident, which occurred around noon on December 8, had substantial implications for traffic and travel.

The failure affected all 46 autogates in both the bus hall and at the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad train station, as well as the QR code scanning system, causing chaos during peak travel hours. Johor Immigration Department director Rusdi Darus confirmed that the management company Syarikat TMR Urusharta promptly addressed the issue, and by 6:30 PM, operations were back to normal.

Mr. Darus emphasized the department's gratitude for the quick response, stating, "We are dedicated to improving processes to ensure smoother movement at our crucial junction with Singapore." Throughout this ordeal, immigration officials were swiftly redeployed to manual counters, while additional contra lanes were opened to lessen congestion.

In the midst of the turmoil, the newly launched MyBorderPass system saw disruptions, adding to traveler frustrations, particularly in the bus lane, though the motorcycle lane remained operational. Fortunately, clearance for cars and heavy vehicles was unaffected, allowing some degree of orderly passage.

As travelers experienced long waits, forcing many to endure hours at the bus hall, which holds 3,500 to 4,000 people, estimates suggest that approximately 60,000 individuals were impacted over the six-hour breakdown. Reports indicated that travelers were stuck for as long as four hours, prompting widespread outcry on social media platforms.

In response to the situation, Singaporean authorities advised travelers to delay their journeys to Johor Bahru until operations stabilized. Fortunately, despite the significant congestion, no serious incidents were reported during the incident.

The MyBorderPass app, introduced recently at the Johor Bahru CIQ bus hall, is designed to streamline border-crossing processes and is now the sole application in use for land crossings with Singapore. However, competing systems such as MyRentas and MyTrip are in the process of being phased out, with MyTrip still operational at the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex CIQ.

This incident highlights the growing pains of managing high traffic volumes at border checkpoints, especially during weekends, when the flow of Singaporean travelers to Johor is particularly heavy. Continuous monitoring and improvements are critical as the authorities work to ensure that such significant disruptions become a thing of the past. Stay tuned for updates as investigations continue into the causes of this failure.