The 1960s marked an era of great change for Singapore. Given the rapid population and economic growth, the government was aware of the need for a reliable and efficient public transport system to support nation building.
However, the public transport system then had received little or no systematic transport planning. The public had to put up with a myriad of timetables, routes and fares offered by the different bus companies. The lack of integration often resulted in long and inconvenient joruneys. In order to maximise profits, buses were not regularly mainted by the operators.
As an alternative to the inadequate public transport system, pirate taxis were rampant. These taxis were not regulated and drivers often tried to take as many passengers as they could to increase their takings, paying little attention to service quality and safety.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Journey
Our site visit included visit to The Gallery and the Intelligent Transport Systems Centre (ITSC).
We arrived at the gallery first at 1pm to start the tour. The Gallery, developed at a cost of $2 million, is housed in a reconstructed office block within LTA offices at Hampshire Road.
The gallery tour gave us many insights on the various types of land transport in Singapore, and how it had developed over the years. There were 5 main interactive exhibitions (stations) - Journeys, Memories, Formative Years, Land Transport Today and Vision/ Aspirations.
Walking through the first exhibition. The walls are decorated with informative boards on the projects undertaken by LTA throughout the years
A simulation of the MRT platform in Singapore. The guide explains to us the importance of the MRT system in Singapore. Today, the MRT forms the backbone of land transportation within Singapore, offering Singaporeans a viable alternative to private transport.
The second exhibition was the 'memories' section where we got to know about the country's past land transport development. The man in the picture portrays the 'traffic-light man' where traffic signs had to be rotated manually by a human back then.
The picture shows a 'mosquito bus'. Motor buses were introduced in the 1930s to provide a faster way of transporting more people. The 'mosquito bus' derived its name from the hectic and dangerous way it flitted in and out of mainstream traffic. Drivers tried to cover their routes as fast as they could so as to make more trips.
The picture shows a Mercedes Benz imported from Germany in 1896. It was the very first car to grace Singapore's roads. It could travel to a top speed of 30 km/h but had to be pushed uphill.
Exhibition showing the different types of vehicle licence plates available in Singapore.
Singapore's road network showing all the location of bus stops and MRT stations.
The exhibition that was most memorable for me was the 'Challenge Theatre'. It is where visitors can participate in choosing land transport outcomes and see the aftermath of it.
Our next stop was at the LTA ITSC, where we got to know more about the transport systems management in Singapore. The guide explained to us about their operations, equipments and technologies.
Personnel from LTA's Intelligent Transport Systems Centre (ITSC), undertake the day-to-day operations of the KPE tunnel, and LTA's Emergency Preparedness Division, and oversee the development of emergency procedures for LTA's various road infrastructure.
LTA will be monitoring traffic conditions on the KPE closely, on a 24-hour basis, via the KPE Operations Control Centre (KPE-OCC). In the event of any major incidents, the LTA's EMAS recovery team will be deployed and will arrive on site within 8 minutes. The SCDF would also be alerted immediately for fire fighting and rescue operations. The KPE-OCC will also advise motorists through the EMAS signs and traffic signs leading to the tunnel.
We arrived at the gallery first at 1pm to start the tour. The Gallery, developed at a cost of $2 million, is housed in a reconstructed office block within LTA offices at Hampshire Road.
The gallery tour gave us many insights on the various types of land transport in Singapore, and how it had developed over the years. There were 5 main interactive exhibitions (stations) - Journeys, Memories, Formative Years, Land Transport Today and Vision/ Aspirations.
Walking through the first exhibition. The walls are decorated with informative boards on the projects undertaken by LTA throughout the years
A simulation of the MRT platform in Singapore. The guide explains to us the importance of the MRT system in Singapore. Today, the MRT forms the backbone of land transportation within Singapore, offering Singaporeans a viable alternative to private transport.
The second exhibition was the 'memories' section where we got to know about the country's past land transport development. The man in the picture portrays the 'traffic-light man' where traffic signs had to be rotated manually by a human back then.
The picture shows a 'mosquito bus'. Motor buses were introduced in the 1930s to provide a faster way of transporting more people. The 'mosquito bus' derived its name from the hectic and dangerous way it flitted in and out of mainstream traffic. Drivers tried to cover their routes as fast as they could so as to make more trips.
The picture shows a Mercedes Benz imported from Germany in 1896. It was the very first car to grace Singapore's roads. It could travel to a top speed of 30 km/h but had to be pushed uphill.
Exhibition showing the different types of vehicle licence plates available in Singapore.
Singapore's road network showing all the location of bus stops and MRT stations.
The exhibition that was most memorable for me was the 'Challenge Theatre'. It is where visitors can participate in choosing land transport outcomes and see the aftermath of it.
Our next stop was at the LTA ITSC, where we got to know more about the transport systems management in Singapore. The guide explained to us about their operations, equipments and technologies.
Personnel from LTA's Intelligent Transport Systems Centre (ITSC), undertake the day-to-day operations of the KPE tunnel, and LTA's Emergency Preparedness Division, and oversee the development of emergency procedures for LTA's various road infrastructure.
LTA will be monitoring traffic conditions on the KPE closely, on a 24-hour basis, via the KPE Operations Control Centre (KPE-OCC). In the event of any major incidents, the LTA's EMAS recovery team will be deployed and will arrive on site within 8 minutes. The SCDF would also be alerted immediately for fire fighting and rescue operations. The KPE-OCC will also advise motorists through the EMAS signs and traffic signs leading to the tunnel.
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