Before Building that Bridge....

Readers of this blog will note that I have written many good things about how things run in Singapore.

As a resident of JB who travels quite regularly to Singapore, I have the opportunity to travel by public transport on trains and buses and this gives me a good idea of how systems have been organised.

Just considering the nightmare of the multi-system public transport that is KL, the Singapore system is seamless and one does not have to walk far to make a connection with a bus or train.

However there is one glaring problem that the Singapore authorities have not been able or willing to solve. I refer to the Woodlands feeder roads that lead to the Causeway.

During the recent CNY holidays, I observed that they even made a temporary sign that read “Causeway delay” which meant that the Causeway traffic was backing up and causing the check-point to be choked.

If you are a careful observer of the Causeway, you will notice some strange phenoma like the following:

1. Causeway choked with buses and lorries that encroach on the car lanes causing cars to be choked off.

2. Causeway free but traffic choked off at the Woodlands crossroads as four lanes of cars converge into one lane complicated by traffic lights and a yellow box junction that few observe when the cops are absent.

3. Causeway free but cars choked off at the viaduct as too many motor-bikers block the car lane.

Usually there are traffic police but the situation is really too complex for the police to help in the traffic flow.
Some mention that the jam at Woodlands has not been resolved so as to discourage Singaporeans from shopping in JB; similar to the three-quarter’s tank rule.

I am sure that the planners did not intend to have traffic police directing traffic on a regular basis.
However the traffic system during peak periods does not work well and sometimes it takes 40 minutes just to get across the traffic lights coming from the BKE.

Apart from heavy traffic flows, the different vehicles have to separate into various streams like cars, lorries and buses and this takes place too close to the traffic lights just before the CIQ.

I am sure the LTA has enough bright sparks to solve the Woodlands conundrum but I would like to offer the following suggestions to ease the traffic flow problems around the Woodlands CIQ area. To me, improving the flow here will make Cuaseway travel much more convenient and stress free for motorists and also reduce the pollution exposure for the traffic police.

I would suggest the LTA to try out the following arrangement during a peak period like 5pm to 7pm.

1. All cars to JB will be required to use only Woodlands road to approach the CIQ. No right turn allowed from Woodland Town area into the CIQ road.

2. All lorries to JB will be required to use only BKE to approach the CIQ. No right turn allowed from Woodland Town area into the CIQ road.

3. Only buses allowed right turn from Woodland Town area into the CIQ road.

4. The viaduct to CIQ will be reserved for motor bikers.

By separating the traffic streams way before the CIQ traffic lights, it may ease the traffic congestion around the CIQ and improve conditions for everyone.


Photo: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/phpRBCWPN.jpg
Note how the cars from Woodlands have to encroach on the yellow box in order to cross-over.