2/13/2006

futuristic singapore

the infrastructure of singapore will be designed to be handicap friendly, from lifts, walkways, roads, to public transport. with the ageing population, singapore is preparing itself for a nation of wheelchair bound communters. i am not sure of the economics, but i think it would be easier and more economical to set up a dedicated transport service to cater for these people than to turn the whole island into a white elephant. i have seen all the beautiful metal strips and buttons on mrt station floors. i have yet to see one handicap person using them. sure there will be some handicap people using them. but the frequency and cost of having them need to be studied carefully. and stop passing the buck of a poorly thought out solution to the commuters. it is easy to make everyone pays. another crooked bridge solution. i am not against making life easier for the handicaps. but i think the solution must be practical and cost effective. imagine redesigning all the buses for wheelchairs? how many buses need to be redesigned and how much will it cost? would it be better to have a fleet of taxis with such additional capabilities and be subsidised by the transport companies. more thinking needs to go into the concept before ploughing more public money into it. it will be public money, everyone's money. the transport companies are going to pass the buck to everyone. so please think carefully when using public money. transport companies have a moral responsibility to spend such money wisely and efficiently. if they want to spend on more gimmicks, please pay for it themselves, from their own pockets. maybe it will be better to have powered wheelchair vehicles. afterall at that age, many will have all the time in the world to sight see at their own time.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

The PAP will promise Singaporeans all kind of gimmicks just to win the upcoming election.

After which, the "public" transport companies will apply to PTC for another round of fare increase to cover the increase running cost of making the infrastructure of Singapore handicap friendly.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi anonymous,

the commuters better raise hell before such silly ideas are implemented and pass down to them. the administrators may want the best of everything, a walkway of sculptures and paintings, paintings to walk on, gimmicks, expensive fixtures, etc etc....who pays?

Anonymous said...

You see... when a government cannot offer good governance, it usually focuses on offering everything other than it. It's everywhere the same.

I'm offering Singapore a future. It's not a promise, people'd have to work with me, but would Singapore wants it? :D

While we talk so much about the government, actually what Singaporeans (actually hilariously so) seem more desiring issues to grumble on. As long as the people don't stop wanting to grumble, their 3s dropping of votes will offer them a fresh cycle of grumbling. Peiod.

Raise more hell, and the government might just end up unleashing hell.

Actually, what do you, and all of you want? Serious, ask youselves...

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

there are good policies and there are bad policies and there are controversial policies.

the good policies will be taken for granted. after we pay good money for the administrators and politicians. if they can't do a good job, then they don't deserve the money.

it cannot be one too many. it will backfire. it is a matter of time.

for bad and controversial policies, they can expect the people to be unhappy. now it is how the people will react.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Wheel chairs? Singapore is one of the most wheelchair unfriendly cities.

Every civil serpent who hold positions higher than 'supervisor' should spend 1 whole day in a wheelchair and try and get about and do stuff in Singapore.

In Aust they did an experiment - players from the Aust rugby team spent a day in wheelchairs. These are fit young men - and they were struggling.

But I don't know about the future - no one does. But I am optimistic about medical engineering finding "bionic" solutions to many of the reasons people end up in wheelchairs in the first place.

And anyway, I'm not optimistic about Singapore's future anyway...

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

a medical science solution will be the answer, if medical science can help. but not in all cases.

now my fear is the whole fleet of buses be modified to be wheelchair friendly. how many buses are there and what will the cost be like.

even then, the crowded city bus will have little room to manouvre. even the mrt, how many wheelchair commuters are there?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Don't worry, Aging society, More wheelchairs soon :-)

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

ya, then we can start a new guinness world record in the number of wheelchairs we have:)

Anonymous said...

To be exact... 明误而不改,不改却也不善后,不善后居然给荒谬的理由,给荒谬的理由事态严重了还继续硬撑...They can tahan, doesn't mean those below can tahan.

But then... don't we get alot of figures...? :(

Anonymous said...

To be exact... 明误而不改,不改却也不善后,不善后居然给荒谬的理由,给荒谬的理由事态严重了还继续硬撑...They can tahan, doesn't mean those below can tahan.

But then... don't we get alot of figures...? :(

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

elfred,

in your chinese translation some of the words are wrong. and this happens quite often.

Anonymous said...

My characters got wrong? Please point out then.

I never translate anything here, anyway.