SINGAPORE, March 22 — Singapore’s newly upgraded Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal (TMFT) is poised to support future growth in travel to Malaysia’s state of Johor and Indonesia’s Riau Islands with new facilities to enhance travellers’ experience, according to its operator.
Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC) Chief Executive Jacqueline Tan said the now-completed S$20 million (S$1=RM3.30) revamp includes self-service check-in kiosks and automated immigration lanes, enabling travellers to reduce processing time, as well as the addition of new F&B outlets.
“Previously, queue build-ups would occur in two locations—at the counter to either buy a ticket or collect a boarding pass, and at the immigration counter.
“Depending on the season, it used to take about 20 minutes on an average day to get into the departure hall, but now, it takes only about five minutes,” she told a media briefing after the official opening of the upgraded TMFT by Minister of State for Transport and Law, Murali Pillai, on Saturday.
The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA)’s passport-less clearance initiative, introduced at the terminal following the upgrade, allows arriving and departing Singapore residents, as well as all departing foreign travellers, to clear immigration using facial and iris biometrics.
Meanwhile, Tan said the self-service check-in kiosks are currently being rolled out in stages, with all ferry operators expected to be onboard the system by June.
Currently, four ferry operators operate at TMFT, serving ferry services to and from two locations in Johor (Tanjung Pengelih and Desaru Coast) and four locations in the Riau Islands (Bandar Bentan Telani, Batam Centre, Nongsapura, and Tanjung Pinang).
Tan said the terminal is also ready to support an increase in the number of operators and services, should the demand arise from the full implementation of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JSSEZ).
“Currently, there are ferry services to two of the JSSEZ areas, but the majority of them are leisure travellers. It will probably take years for us to see the full impact of the JSSEZ, but the terminal is ready to support it if such a need arises,” she said.
Tan said SCC projected a five per cent year-on-year growth in passenger volume, supported by the development of new hotels and attractions on Riau Islands, as well as the return of the Chinese market, which used to contribute 20 to 25 per cent to the traffic before Covid.
Following the upgrade, TMFT has expanded its terminal’s capacity by 20 per cent to more than three million passengers. At its peak during pre-Covid, the terminal handled up to 2.4 million passengers. — Bernama