Motorists planning to visit the information centre in Woodlands for their Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) tag installation must make an appointment in advance. Those who arrive without an appointment will be turned away, as the MY VEP Woodlands office is currently operating at full capacity, handling the maximum number of appointments each day, according to CNA.
Background
Common issues faced by motorists include difficulties completing online payments on the VEP application portal, deregistering VEP applications of previous owners for second-hand vehicles, and obtaining physical tags for applications made years ago when the scheme was first announced. From 1 October 2024, Malaysia will require all foreign-registered vehicles entering from Singapore to use VEPs. Motorists who fail to comply may face fines up to RM2,000 (US$606) or imprisonment for up to six months.
Book appointment few weeks in advance
Appointments must be booked several weeks ahead. CNA reported that the booking site showed all slots up to the last available date, 4 October, were fully booked. Motorists had to wait until 11:59 pm on Sunday, 14 September, for a new batch of appointments between 7 and 11 October to become available.
At capacity
Ng Poh Heng, the manager at the Woodlands office, stated that they can handle about 100 enquiries daily. The team aims to install at least 100 to 150 RFID tags per day “once everything is going,” following permission from Malaysian authorities. The office, which opened on 19 August, assists Singapore drivers with VEP applications and, since 12 September, has also facilitated the collection and installation of VEP tags. Drivers collecting their tags from the Woodlands centre will receive a tag installed on the windscreen unless deemed unsuitable. The installation process takes approximately five minutes per vehicle. Singapore has about 1 million vehicles, with 524,000 being private cars.
Additional information
The option to collect VEP tags from the Singapore service centre appeared on the VEP portal on 3 September. According to a source familiar with the move, the earliest date to collect the tag from the Woodlands counter was 18 September. On the first day of the VEP counter’s operation, 200 drivers turned up. Private hire driver Jackson Tan, who applied for a VEP on 8 July, was informed on 19 August to collect it in October due to a missing vehicle log card, which can be retrieved from the Land Transport Authority’s OneMotoring website.