More Pay and Pay policies?
-
Ready for road tolls?
Jul 03, 2006
The Straits Times
IT is a matter of time before Singapore runs out of land for required new roads to cope with the population increase, or available land suitable for roads is deemed better used for other purposes. In either case, road planners have two alternatives for solutions to tomorrow's vehicular demands: go underground or higher above ground. The latter option, in the form of multilevel viaducts made famous by clover-leaf junctions seen in high-density cities, requires pre-planning to take into account load and soil conditions and the locations of traffic dispersal nodes. Stacking one or two more tiers as an afterthought when road space is found to be inadequate is apparently not recommended. But going straight for a multi-tier system way ahead of projected demand risks the project turning into an expensive indulgence. Underground then? Cost will decide.
The new Transport Minister, Mr Raymond Lim, hinted at a conference of construction engineers last week that underground road infrastructure was an option the Government may have to consider. It is necessary to bear in mind his motivator was not the question of land availability, which he did not discuss, but the financing of subterranean roads. As this is much costlier than building surface roads, he mentioned private financing, as practised in some countries, as a model. These are turnkey or 'bundled' projects whereby a private concern designs, builds and operates roads. Users pay toll to use the roads. Politically, these projects are often troublesome because of the toll factor. Whether Mr Lim was priming motorists here for the probability of toll roads in the near future is moot. More relevant is the question of need: How many more years before road capacity is saturated?
To judge from the absence of serious congestion, road space will be adequate for some time. Motorists are already heavily taxed through the loading charges on car ownership (various taxes, COE) and electronic road pricing. The ERP method of sorting out road users has been accepted but paying toll, which can be expected to be higher, is something else. Conceptually, subterranean toll roads can be built as optional routes for motorists who will pay willingly for faster travel. But it will need a stout-of-heart financier to take a gamble with turnkey projects when surface-road traffic 'jams' here are nothing like the two-hour standstills common in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
Asia1.com -
Getting harder to own cars in the future.
-
i figured soon we have to tap ezlink card @ traffic lights and underpasses for pedestrians.......
-
While road tolls may be reality in the near future, i was hoping for something decidedly different from Mr Raymond Lim as the incoming Transport Minister.
In fact, i was hoping he start by trying to tidy up the mess his predecessors Mah Bow Tan and Yeo Cheow Tong left him.
Instead, he blurts out hints of implementing more ERP-like schemes to create an adverse reaction from the road-users. In one lightning move, he has proven himself a worthy successor of the last transport minister and engaged instantly into the continued mindset of throwing money to solve the problem.
What a way to start his new tenure as transport minister - with a thunderous bang.
Sadly, the new generation of the Crème de la crème hasten to march on the 'pay and pay' bandwagon without attempting to explore alternative solutions that cut-back unnecessary filling of the coffers. -
He is elected for generating more revenue for the white party.
If he clean up the mess left behind by the previous idiots, his pay and his bonus will be cleaned up also.
Electricity, Taxi and Bus Hike.
The race is on.
Every puppy dog are trying very hard to impress the master how much revenue they can earned from the SOS (Slaves of Singapore).
Those that are useless will be asked to leave after one term.
Who cares whether the SOS are not happy, cos you have no other choice but to pay.
The most important thing is to secure his job, his pay and his bonus.
Your welfare is your problem. -
WeeeEEEEEEEEE!!! more money for the ministers!!!!
-
Originally posted by BillyBong:
Moderate and correct the hyper salaries of the CEO, and senior management of public transport companies (at one time pushed up to $1,000,000.00 pa to one ex-MP) pushed up during the period government was corporatising public transport to GLCs. Reverse the double charge on land and infrastruture costs previously already paid by taxpayers before the corporatisation there will be no need to suffer any losses even if oil prices rise up to US$80 per barrel.
While road tolls may be reality in the near future, i was hoping for something decidedly different from Mr Raymond Lim as the incoming Transport Minister.
In fact, i was hoping he start by trying to tidy up the mess his predecessors Mah Bow Tan and Yeo Cheow Tong left him.
Instead, he blurts out hints of implementing more ERP-like schemes to create an adverse reaction from the road-users. In one lightning move, he has proven himself a worthy successor of the last transport minister and engaged instantly into the continued mindset of [b]throwing money to solve the problem.
What a way to start his new tenure as transport minister - with a thunderous bang.
Sadly, the new generation of the Crème de la crème hasten to march on the 'pay and pay' bandwagon without attempting to explore alternative solutions that cut-back unnecessary filling of the coffers.[/b]
It is creative accounting like what Mr. Mah has done to HDB's over-charging of HDB flat prices that causes the hikes in public transport costs. Now the lower income earners are spending close to 50% of income on transportation. Is it moral for a minister to over-charge people on basic cost of living and essentials.
If Mr. Raymond Lim has the calibre he should do it like Minister Khaw in reversing excessive charges done by Minister Yeo Cheow Tong. All the double charge on lands (acquired under Land Acquisition Act at dirt cheap costs and the excessive salaries paid to management of public transport companies, he would no doubt be able to lower the transport costs. -
now already got road tax y still need the toll? isint it double charging?
still got coe, erp. isit charging quadruple times? -
Isn't KL doing it as well for PLUS?Originally posted by RaTtY8l:now already got road tax y still need the toll? isint it double charging? still got coe, erp. isit charging quadruple times? -
mayb next time mus pay toll for walking on pavement? underground passes mus pay 10 cents per usuage? or should we hav a toll for breathing as well?
-
wat is PLUS? care to explain?Originally posted by sbst275:Isn't KL doing it as well for PLUS? -
Projek Lebuhraya Selatan UtaraOriginally posted by RaTtY8l:wat is PLUS? care to explain?
North South Highway in English -
ok, their NS highway is hundreds of kms while our expressway is at most tens of km. that is 1 big difference. and if u inpose tolls on certain roads, will other roads that are toll free ended up with massive traffic jams? from wat i see, this only benefits the rich more than the poor.
-
NS Highway is based on dist, with PLUS getting a garaunteed 30% compound hike every 3 years, if not KL have to compensate PLUS millions to offset the agreed concession agreementOriginally posted by RaTtY8l:ok, their NS highway is hundreds of kms while our expressway is at most tens of km. that is 1 big difference. and if u inpose tolls on certain roads, will other roads that are toll free ended up with massive traffic jams? from wat i see, this only benefits the rich more than the poor.
From Senai (Linkedua) to KL cost abt RM40, next revision will go up to RM52 that's in 2007
In the 1st place, if they stop removing buses after train line starts, ppl will just switch to driving... It's this that they never learn -
Hey, I mentioned this before in an earlier thread donkey months ago.Originally posted by FireIce:i figured soon we have to tap ezlink card @ traffic lights and underpasses for pedestrians....... -
As long as there is something to squeeze out from the people, who gives a damn?Originally posted by RaTtY8l:now already got road tax y still need the toll? isint it double charging? still got coe, erp. isit charging quadruple times? -
What if there is a need to pay for pedestrian tax since we cross the roads often? And moreover, traffic lights also uses electricity as well as street lamps.