Tourist drop-off turns industrial road in Tuas into chaos

Think your commute is bad?

Try navigating a road crammed with tour buses, littered with rubbish and the occasional puddle of urine.

That's the daily reality for businesses along Tuas Link 2, who say their industrial road has become an unofficial bus interchange for tourists.

Just five minutes away from the Tuas checkpoint, a road lined with factories has become an unofficial interchange for tour buses plying the Singapore-Malaysia border.

Every other hour, large coaches from Malaysia arrive at the two-lane Tuas Link 2. Scores of tourists, with luggage in tow, get off to board another coach to take them further into Singapore.

This constant flurry of activity has become more than an inconvenience for businesses in the area. The buses hold up traffic, block entrances to factories and park against the flow of traffic.

To make things worse, the tourists often leave behind rubbish and trespass into factories to use the toilets. Some even urinate and defecate in the open, businesses told CNA.

"We have to wait for the tourists to transfer from one bus and then our car can move," said Mr Tonie Ong, managing director of Steeltech Industries, a construction steel business located on the road. He estimates that up to 60 buses visit in a day.

Mr Ong added that tourists, including children, were crowding the road with their luggage just metres away from passing vehicles, describing the scene as an "accident waiting to happen".

While he initially allowed tourists to use his factory's toilets, he was forced to put a stop to it after some began wandering around the premises, raising safety concerns. One woman even urinated in his office corridor when she could not find the bathroom.

And it's not just Steeltech Industries that's suffering. Workers at nearby Mastergrip Adhesives have found human faeces near their gates, according to the company’s director Tommy Ong.

Across the road, EMK Technologies has resorted to keeping its gates shut to deter tourists, but some simply push them open anyway. Business director Mr Terry Yap says he's nearly come to blows with bus drivers blocking his gate.

"This is common sense, you're blocking my entrance. They just don't care," Mr Yap said, adding that the buses make it difficult for suppliers with 20-foot containers to enter and exit his premises. His employees had also found a plastic bottle that seemed to be filled with urine stuck between plants near the company’s gate.

The situation isn't any better for Sia & Yeo Heavy Equipment, located at the end of the road.

"We need to wait for the passengers to move away and then when you horn they don't care. And they throw rubbish everywhere, attracting a lot of crows," said managing director Sia Keok Muie.

Bus drivers, meanwhile, claim they're just following orders from their tour agencies, who were apparently unaware of the issues faced by these companies.

"There's nowhere else to stop, it's been like this for over 10 years," one driver said. "It's either this road or the one behind."

"When people ask me to stop blocking the road I will circle the area and come back when there are less cars and I won't block anyone."

A local coach company director, Ms Summer Neo, explained that these bus transfers used to occur at the Tuas bus interchange. However, the authorities had to put a stop to it due to congestion.

She suggested that the authorities establish a dedicated interchange with proper facilities for these bus transfers. As for why Tuas Link 2 became the chosen spot, Ms. Neo pointed out its convenient location and the fact that drivers hadn't raised complaints about it.

"If they can arrange an alternative, why not? If they have a place, toilets, facilities, then it's okay," she added, requesting her company's name to be kept anonymous.

Steeltech Industries’ Mr Ong said he had contacted the authorities and filed a complaint through OneService. He explained that while a parking warden did visit the area after several complaints, the bus drivers would simply leave and return later.

The Land Transport Authority said it was aware of the situation and planned to collaborate with other agencies to take action against those violating regulations. It also intended to discuss the issue with local tour operators.