With a Targeted Population of 6million, What do You Think???
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Will S'pore become Gridlock City?
Packed buses, elusive cabs, traffic jams on Saturday night. When population hits 6.5m, how?
By Sylvia Toh Paik Choo
July 03, 2007
HOW are we going to deal with this when our population hits its targeted 6.5 million?
Just look at what happened on Saturday night.
The city went into a gridlock like I had not experienced before.
I started out from my Farrer Park home at quarter past 7 for Christina Aguilera's concert, which was to start at the Indoor Stadium at 8pm.
The cab driver's heart sank when he heard 'stadium'.
'Jam, everywhere jam,' he lamented.
Of course! The National Stadium's closing ceremony. (By night's end, it was also one of the NDP rehearsals, the last night for cheaper shopping - before the 2 percentage point GST hike - and the last cigarette puff in public places.)
Everybody went out with a vengeance and the city came close to traffic paralysis.
My cab fare to the stadium was $12, exactly double the normal.
Christina Aguilera was fantastic and worth every dollar ($98 to $348, but how scary are our ticket prices getting for pop shows?)
The concert began late, thank goodness, because most of us were scrambling out of kissing cars, racing across tarmac and turf and up the stairs.
When we poured out after her encore, we saw red.
There were fireworks from the National Stadium's final party, and rows and lines and curves of red tail lights, which, in a moment of fancy, made me think of the necklaces of pigeon blood red rubies from Van Cleef and Arpels.
Fancy immediately turned to frenzy when it struck us all - how do we get out of here?
You could not get a taxi booking - the cabs must all be stuck somewhere.
A short, nervous man spoke into an intercom, 'member, member' and from what I figured he had a fleet of limos hiding in the bushes (of course, I exaggerate here) ready to pick up, so I noticed, ang moh customers.
I was about to ask him if he could book... when an East European woman and child interrupted: 'We are first'. I told her to relax. The man quickly moved away.
I asked a man in neon vest directing the chock-a-block traffic for directions and he made the mistake of saying: 'I don't know.'
I pointed to his uniform and gave him a piece of my mind. He then showed presence of mind: 'If not, I ask my officer help you.'
And the whole thing went on - bumper-to-bumper traffic inching along, party and pop people running to and from two bus stops in search of a way out of the stadium grounds. Where is Bruce Willis when he is needed to sort out a disaster like this one?
If a city of four-million-plus can be paralysed by a hundred thousand going out to two events in the same area on the same day, how will we cope when the number is bumped up by another two million?
In cities like London, on a hot summer's day, I have seen fights break out right in the middle of crowded Piccadilly Circus, tempers fraying in the heat, the rush and the crush.
Did anyone stop to break the fisticuffs? Of course not - everyone was busy scurrying to whatever it was that was drawing them on. Leave it to the police.
Are we bidding to build ourselves up like Dubai? They can, they have vast deserts in their backyard to pile into.
But wait a minute - there is still land around the island. You become aware of it when you take a bus ride.
And that was how I arrived home, two hours after the concert - via Ang Mo Kio.
There were empty buses in the bay and a nice SBS chap said: 'Hello, how are you?'
I told him: 'Quite confused, donno how to get out.'
And he said: 'But at least you remember your name, Paik Choo.' And he showed me where to go.
The special services were designated for Ang Mo Kio, Orchard Road, Boon Lay. The Orchard buses looked like the ones you see in Indian movies, passengers holding the doors together.
I had a birthday party to go to, so I leapt into the Ang Mo Kio double-decker. On the highway, it said: Heavy traffic.
The party was in Telok Kurau. Never made it. Happy birthday, Michelle. The present would have been a Christina Aguilera impersonation. -
6 million?
i find it too crowded already with the current population.
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Jam every morning on way to work
On weekends, bloody SMRT train come every 8 mins or so, end up equally as packed as weekdays mornings
Overcrowding + stupid policies = potential worst nightmare -
you get to taste first hand what it feels like in the early morning hour rush on the subway in japan and korea.. woo hoo!!
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6 mil too little
10 mil all the way
then domestic market can support more products and everyone become richer. per capita may rise to US$60000 per captia -
What's there to think?
I dun even dare to think. -
To me, I don't think the government CARE about how overcrowded and uncomfortable we are. Obviously they are only concerned about their own financial growth with higher population.... -
you think we are as big as china/america?Originally posted by sgboy2005:6 mil too little
10 mil all the way
then domestic market can support more products and everyone become richer. per capita may rise to US$60000 per captia -
by that time when it reaches 6 million people, i don't think people will like itOriginally posted by 4getmenot:you get to taste first hand what it feels like in the early morning hour rush on the subway in japan and korea.. woo hoo!! -
more heads, more tax, more money
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sg will probably sink first
or we will have to reclaim land (not before fighting it out with msia)
start digging deeper into the ground (and probably come out the other side, which is...errr......the brazil?)
or it will be 6million of foreigners
and sgreans will be scattered in other parts of the world, if not, shuttled to mars. -
more people in singapore= singapore more populated = more money for singapore = ministers earning more moneyOriginally posted by mistyblue:more heads, more tax, more money -
ya, if singapore alot of people, singapore become more dense, then suddenly out of nowhere, water suddenly flood whole of singapore and sink. must reclaim land, but we can't due to restriction.Originally posted by FireIce:sg will probably sink first
or we will have to reclaim land (not before fighting it out with msia)
start digging deeper into the ground (and probably come out the other side, which is...errr......the brazil?)
or it will be 6million of foreigners
and sgreans will be scattered in other parts of the world, if not, shuttled to mars. -
4 millions, already many people don't like it, PAP got 66.6% votes; 6 millions, even more people don't like it, PAP would be voted out with less than 50% votes. That will be the day.Originally posted by BusSpeeder:by that time when it reaches 6 million people, i don't think people will like it
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finally you replied me with a positive remark.Originally posted by sgdiehard:4 millions, already many people don't like it, PAP got 66.6% votes; 6 millions, even more people don't like it, PAP would be voted out with less than 50% votes. That will be the day. 
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of course the government cares, thts why they keep increasing gst, so u stay at home more often cos everything's so expensive now. no more congestion! wow, now tht's financial planning.Originally posted by ShutterBug:To me, I don't think the government CARE about how overcrowded and uncomfortable we are. Obviously they are only concerned about their own financial growth with higher population....
and now the government's increasing ur retirement age, so u'll die earlier cos of the increased stress. no more overcrowding! wow, now tht's concern for ur welfare. -
aiya the ministers dun have the luxury of takin public transport...
hw they noe how uncomfy we are?
they oso dun have the luxury of driving during morning peak frm dunno which E to TPE heading towards pasir ris...
and also frm SLE to CTE... -
sarcastic.Originally posted by lil_bubba:of course the government cares, thts why they keep increasing gst, so u stay at home more often cos everything's so expensive now. no more congestion! wow, now tht's financial planning.
and now the government's increasing ur retirement age, so u'll die earlier cos of the increased stress. no more overcrowding! wow, now tht's concern for ur welfare. -
we shall organise a campaign
let the ministers live as heartlander, blue/white-collar worker for 7 days.
each day's allowance S$50
they have to go thru buying groceries from sheng siong, giant, fairprice, take mrt, bus, taxi to wherever, no maid, stay in HDB flat with lifts serving particular floors only
everyone must have a blog and write their activities and their feelings everyday
(with them paying for own internet connection) -
Originally posted by BusSpeeder:finally you replied me with a positive remark.
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Why do they need to care anyway? It's not them who have to kena... That makes them a very bad nanny.Originally posted by ShutterBug:To me, I don't think the government CARE about how overcrowded and uncomfortable we are. Obviously they are only concerned about their own financial growth with higher population....
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they, govt, don’t need to take public transport, don’t “enjoy” the experience like us and moreover think they care about it, I doubt. When population reach 6.5m, they are the only ones who benefit, not us!
When population reach 6.5m, we may spend longer time travelling in Singapore, may have more accidents than it is now. -
with current population already v crowded liao..cant imagine if it hits 5.5m, not to say 6.5m....every morning traffic jam.switch to public tpt also human jam..basically go anywhere also jam....
govt wont care.cos more pple, more tax n they will have excuse to give themselves 25% increment every yr..no need to wait for few yrs -
So many people say govt don't care, so we must care for ourselves. Do something to make our life better.Originally posted by Inzaghi:with current population already v crowded liao..cant imagine if it hits 5.5m, not to say 6.5m....every morning traffic jam.switch to public tpt also human jam..basically go anywhere also jam....
govt wont care.cos more pple, more tax n they will have excuse to give themselves 25% increment every yr..no need to wait for few yrs -
one thing everyone can do, c if r able to do it....which is..Originally posted by zix1:So many people say govt don't care, so we must care for ourselves. Do something to make our life better.
study hard n get gd grades...make urself globally marketable..leave here for good to other places u deemed good enuff for living..