The heavy rain of early Jan has finally subsided, but some damage has been left behind.
Apart from floods, landslides and tree fallings, Singaporeans have noticed that more potholes seem to be appearing on our roads.
Some have expressed concern about them to Mr Baey Yam Keng, who is Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport.
To these concerns, he has said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is aware of the problem, and they’re checking the roads so they can repair any issues as soon as possible.
In a post on Wednesday (13 Jan), a netizen tried to highlight the issue of potholes in the Singapore Cycling Community Facebook group, of which Mr Baey is also a member.
In his post, Mr Stephen Tan said the potholes pose a danger to road users like cyclists and motorcyclists.
Even pedestrians may be endangered when they cross the road while there are potholes with rainwater in them.
That’s because the water will decrease the visibility of the potholes, he added.
Thus, he urged Mr Baey and the LTA to improve safety for all road users.
In a separate post in the SG PCN Cyclist Facebook group, another netizen implored Mr Baey to pay urgent attention to what he described as deteriorating road conditions in Singapore.
He claimed to have seen potholes everyday and at all locations, at an “unprecedented scale and quantity”.
6 of them were found from Upper Thomson Road to Lim Chu Kang Road, he added.
Calling the potholes “death traps” for cyclists and possibly motorcyclists, he said cyclists have taken to warning one another about them.
He also claimed that at least 3 cyclists have ended up in hospital due to potholes in the past week, according to accounts he has read.
For example, cyclist Imran Talib shared in a post in the same group that he a water-filled pothole caused him to be thrown off his bike and slam into the ground.
Luckily for him, he fell into a grass patch, but other cyclists might be more severely injured.
The situation has apparently become so widespread that a netizen shared an album of pothole photos in the Complaint Singapore Facebook group.
Many of the potholes seem to be found in heavily used roads like expressways and near exits.
However, they were even seen on downtown roads like Shenton Way.
Some of the potholes, for example this one taken on the Pan-Island Expressway, were filled with water from rainy weather.
Some roads had not just one, but a series of potholes.
One pothole on Tampines Avenue 4 was big and deep enough to fit a full-sized umbrella comfortably.
And on some roads, an entire patch seems to be on the verge of sinking in.
The problem seems to have surfaced in multiple locations too, from downtown to Woodlands and Tampines.
In response to the public concern, Mr Baey told The Straits Times (ST) that 4 times more potholes than usual have been seen around Singapore.
This is due to the rains being “heavier and more protracted” recently.
He said the persistent rain causes water to seep into the ground, softening the soil.
That in turn causes the tarmac above to give way when vehicles go over them, said the Tampines MP.
Source
The good news is that LTA is taking action on the potholes this very moment, Mr Baey told ST.
They are checking roads across Singapore and repairing them “as soon as possible”, he said.
However, the public may have to expect some delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic affecting access to workers.
Mr Baey also urged road users to be keep a lookout for potholes and report them to the authorities via the OneService app or MyTransport app.
It seems that motorists and cyclists alike have reported being affected by potholes, with a car allegedly damaged in an incident this week.
Thus, if you’re on the road, do be on the lookout and try not to go too fast, whether you’re a cyclist of motorist.
Thankfully, quick action is being taken to rectify the situation, and hopefully no more people will be injured in the meantime.
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Featured images adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
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