My Take On The CTE Jam

I have been using the CTE since 1987 (when CTE only reached Ang Mo Kio Ave 1). I have seen it grow (in traffic volume that is).

I have made some research and found that up to 44% of the population (as of 2003) is located near the CTE route north of the city. Towns like Whampoa, Toa Payoh, Bishan, Braddell, Ang Mo Kio, Yishun, Sembawang, Woodlands, Ponggol, SengKang, Serangoon and Hougang, plus traffic coming from the causeway will use CTE.

Don't the HDB/URA and LTA talk to each other? I am sure HDB/URA didn't decide to build so many houses up North only yesterday. So can't this information be given to LTA ahead time so that plans to expand the CTE or to build alternate expressway go hand-in-hand as the population up North increases; and not wait until the North is populated and the CTE is jammed before implementing the easiest solution - Collect ERP.

(On a side note: This is also the reason why Tan Tock Seng is packed all the time)

This is no wonder that CTE is clogged; especially on Saturday when the downtown traffic is heavy throughout the day.

Nevertheless, I have been paying $3.50 every morning to drive down CTE and even then, the traffic is heavy and jammed sometime. Now you ask, why am I still paying so much to drive down CTE in the morning? Why not try other alternate routes? Well, I have tried them all and guess what? The fastest route downtown is still through CTE, jam or not!!! For example, I took 40 mins to go from Yio Chu Kang to Lavender going by Ang Mo Kio, Marymount, Thomson, Balestier (paying $1 at the ERP gantry at Thomson). However, I take on average 20mins to the same destination through CTE in start-stop traffic. You can do the maths: 20mins and $3.50 versus 40mins and $1 plus added petrol consumption and more wear and tear to the car.

Well I guess fellow Singaporeans are not dumb as they can figure this out too. That is why with 2 ERP gantries at CTE they still attract such a heavy traffic.

The government announced last week that the north bound evening traffic have eased with the introduction of the ERP. Well, mark my word, within a few months, the traffic will be back. This ERP gantry will perhaps stop the Malaysian cars and motorcycles but not residents going home to their families. What then? Raise the ERP rates? Extend the ERP hours? When will it end? It is like a drug, after motorists have factored in this ERP as part of the cost of driving, any raise in ERP fees will only temporarily stop some from using the road but over time, they will be back. So the Government will keep on increasing the dosage(ERP rates)?? As long as problem of the clogged alternate routes is not resolve, raising the rates is not a long term solution.

One solution is to provide disincentive for motorists living in the towns nearer to the city from using the CTE. Since they are nearer to the city, the time difference between using the CTE and alternate routes will not be that significant versus a motorist who live in Yio Chu Kang, for example. One sure way to reduce traffic is to disconnect the PIE with the CTE. PIE-CTE interchange is the source of the traffic congestion. There is sufficient alternate routes without the CTE-PIE connection. This will divert East/West bound traffic up North via BKE/TPE or down South via ECP/AYE.

A concluding observation: I wonder why the Government bother to spend so much grooming scholars to run the Civil service when every time the government wants to limit or control usage, the only way they know how to do it is to tax the pockets of its citizens. You don't need scholars to do the job; any Tom Dick or Harry can do the job if the solution to any problem is MONEY!!!