1/01/2014

Snippets on the MCE


On Monday morning it was like the sky opened up. No it was not pouring rain. The sun was out there though a bit hazy. And the haze got worse when all the cars, buses, lorries etc caught in one of the most massive traffic jam in our recent history started to pump out more gas into the morning air. Getting stuck in this jam for more than an hour was considered lucky. Some got stuck for 2 to 3 hours, enough time to get to Malacca or KL.

Criticism of the most congested or massive congestion expressway was widespread, spontaneous and furious. $4.3b were spent on this great piece of maze that transformed a straight expressway to a crooked and longer one to help motorists to reach their destinations faster by 2 to 3 hours more. Some were shaking their heads that we need to spend $4.3b to replicate the jams in our neighbouring capital cities. Surely that must not be the intention unless it is done to show the people what bad govt is all about. Just hope it is not the outstanding contribution of our FTs.

Maybe the jam was a fiction of one’s imagination as some eminent motorists were claiming that they reached their destination in much shorter time driving through the MCE. Maybe that was the truth, the MCE was smooth flowing. The jams were on the surface roads after exiting the MCE and got caught by some choke points.

Several recommendations were put up by the netizens. One, since MCE is free and smooth flowing, the LTA should remove the ERP charges. But this suggestion is bad if no alternative sites for ERP are erected to recover the $4.3b construction cost. Actually there is no lack of roads for new ERP gantries. All the exit roads after the MCE are ideal locations for ERPs as these are the places that the jams occurred.

Some also suggested having more electronic signboards along the MCE, like those for car parks, to tell motorists which exits are free and which exits are jammed. Motorists would then be well informed on which exit to take to avoid the jams.

Some were wondering why the traffic planners and experts did not conduct computer simulations on the new traffic pattern with such major changes. If they have done so, more pro active measures could be taken to avoid the once in 50 year traffic jam.

One more recommendation, maybe LTA should reconsider the closing of existing stretch of ECP to give motorists more options and expressways to drive through. Driving in a straight expressway must be shorter than driving through a crooked one. This principle must be made know to the road designers so that in future when they design expressways they would not attempt anything crooked.

Those who were stuck in taxis in the jams are asking the LTA for a refund as the $16 fare could go up to $50 or $80. Can refund or not? They must be paying for sitting on the most expensive expressway in the world.

There is no need to worry about complaints that the MCE would become a white elephant if the closed section of the ECP is reopened. The MCE is already built and the money spent, water under the bridge. Just make a few explanations and life will go one. The final result must be lesser congestion when there are now two expressways instead of one.

What do you think?

14 comments:

Abao said...

just close the congested depressway, and save on the operating cost.

And consider the 4.3 billion dollars a lesson for poor planning.

See how kind I am.

agongkia said...


No use crying over spilt milk.Once a while congestion is good.This is to create wealth.....for the taxi drivers.Can collect 70 over dollars within 2 hours without the need to cruise around.
I will specially drive into MCP if I am a cabby with pax if this can happen daily.

Anonymous said...

Agongkia, for $80 cab fare, u should know better than others that it's enough to hug mei mei for many hours or so why waste this money to pay uncle?

Anonymous said...

Refund is in order for those who paid ERP charges in MCE plus compensation for time wasted.

Tio boh?

Anonymous said...

daft ..daft ...daft

papigs should charged those drivers for pollution; keeping those engines running when their vehicles are stationary

.... brilliant lta engineers, nea can station health inspectors to book errant drivers

knnccb .... papigs return my cpf money, may the descendant reap their karma

b said...

Congestion only means one thing - more ERP collections for the government who will collect and pocket them thru paying themselves sky high wages.

b said...

$4.3b can easily create a bicycle lane next to all expressways so that people can have a cheaper, more reliable, safer way of transportation.

Anonymous said...

@b said...
$4.3b can easily create a bicycle lane...

They are paid $$$ to think of ways to squeeze daft sinkies, not to make life better without COE, ERP, road tax and petrol duty. If you can find a way to make cyclists pay more than car owners, they will pay you $$$ after getting you in through a sure-win GRC.

Anonymous said...

Sorry we didn't get it right this time. We will try better the next time.

Anonymous said...

$4.3 billion dollars can do a lot to help the poor and elderly in Singapore.
Instead of wasting it on yet another prestige project for our PAP Millionaires.

Anonymous said...


anonymous 7.03pm....

sound very very very familiar......

who said it before????????????

Anonymous said...

"Sorry we didn't get it right this time. We will try better the next time."

Sounds like something a virgin will say to his wife on wedding night.

agongkia said...

@anon 3.17
I mean if I am the cabby uncle lah.

2 hours 70 dollars,5 trips a day will generate 350.If drive 25 days a month can fetch nearly 9 K.Time for me to get a taxi license if MCP is in the same situation daily.

Anonymous said...

Nothing like a dose of bad government to teach the 60% to vote more wisely.