The terminal can cater maritime traffic to various parts of Indonesia, Batam, Karimun Jawa, Tanjungbalai, Penang and Malacca.
Due to lack of facilities at the now defunct Clifford Pier, the government planned to build a cruise center on an offshore island.
However, passenger traffic declined in the mid-1990s when a small causeway (Sentosa Gateway) was built to connect the island to mainland Singapore.
By the start of the early 2000s, it had become clear to locals and foreigners that with the decline of passenger traffic, the ferry terminal was losing its purpose.
[1] The demolishing ceremony was witnessed by prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, the media, and people from all walks of life.