It was a strange day when the gahmen announced the opening of a portion of the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE). We were expecting to cheer the new road that promised to alleviate the daily jams on the other expressways but lo and behold, the KPE was also the harbinger of increased ERP fares. Ay caramba, we simultaneously echoed. (That's funny because I don't drive. Quick laugh).
More gantries in new places, longer operation hours, increased prices - we cringe as the beep happens. Damn the IU.
Well, I believe we are trying to solve the wrong problem. Why do people head into the city in the first place? To work, mister and missus, to work. And with many a place to work in the CBD, the common and not-so-common man has to drive under many an ERP gantry to make it work eight-nine-ish each weekday. So what if the offices decided to move out of the city? That means less cars would need to enter the city. Also business would likely pay less rent for office space. Wouldn't everyone be happier? Someone should remind the gahmen about the regional centres they eagerly introduced some years back. Where are the business and entertainment hubs in Jurong East and Woodlands promised an election or two ago? Tampines has a reasonably successful stint at being a hub of sorts but there is still so much more space to expand. (If anyone noticed, the Novena area is one good example of businesses relocating outside the city.) I want my pimped-up Woodlands now!
Expand and expand now, while the economy is still hot! Get the folks out of the city! Fewer ERPs, more TLC.
1 comment:
don't want don't want don't want! i won't wanna work in an industrial estate, or a satellite hub...
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