Social media posts stir discussion among Singaporeans on infrastructure and cost concerns for commuters
Over the past few days, netizens across social media platforms have debated the cost and accessibility of getting around Singapore.
The discussion comes after last month’s announcement of increased public transport fares, which will take effect on 26 Dec.
Can Singapore be a bicycle-friendly city?
Source: Trương Tuyết Ly on Unsplash. For illustrative purposes only.
Canadian-born Dutch YouTuber Jason Slaughter shared a video on his channel Not Just Bikes on 27 Sept.
In the video, he discussed Singapore’s cycling infrastructure based on his experiences during his visit.
Slaughter argued that Singapore still has room to improve its cycling infrastructure.
He cited confusing rules, irregular cycling paths and car-centric road designs among his main concerns.
Source: YouTube
Commenters on Slaughter’s video identifying as Singaporean cyclists attested to facing the same problems raised.
Is Singapore too car-centric?
TheWokeSalaryMan also weighed in on the issue with an Instagram post on 5 Oct, specifically regarding car-centrism in Singapore.
Co-founder He Ruiming said the concerns about car-centric planning had been apparent to him and fellow co-founder Goh Wei Choon for quite a while.
Speaking to MS News, He explained that both Goh and he are long-time bicycle commuters.
As reflected in their comic on Instagram, they believe in equitability in addressing the needs of all commuters, not just drivers’.
The idea that planning the city around people, rather than cars, resonated with many readers.
Source: Instagram
However, some commenters disagreed. They argued that car ownership can serve as a symbol of personal achievement and meritocracy.
MRT is great, but is it good enough?
NUS computer science student and TikTok creator Kaung also made a video discussing the adequacy of the MRT system in meeting the needs of commuters.
He claims that the design of MRT lines is the reason why people find Singapore “boring”.
His rationale is that the MRT lines are inconvenient for inter-line and cross-island travel.
Kaung told MS News that most of his friends live in the west while he lives in the east.
Due to the inconvenience of long-distance public transport, he says that he barely meets his friends when they are not all together in their university hall.
Source: TikTok
Many commenters also shared similar anecdotes describing the lengthy public transport journeys from their neighbourhoods.
What it’s like in other countries
Kaung shared that his opinions came from living overseas as well as talking to international friends.
In Stockholm, where I stayed for a year … the trains mostly run from the suburbs into a small city centre, a bit like ours… some trips take 45 minutes by public transport … The difference is that the weather lets you cycle without sweating. That same trip is 20 minutes on a bike, and lots of nature and activities can be accessed by bike.
A friend also shared with him that “his friends in Tokyo live as far apart as the two ends of Singapore, but can still meet within an hour because of express trains”.
To him, the lack of alternative options, rather than fare increases, especially for last-mile commutes, is the main sticking point.
The university student said that, as a result, “staying home just becomes the easy choice”.
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Featured image adapted from Calvin Seng on Pexels. For illustration purposes only.