Tuesday, 27 January 2015

[Straits Times] Poor flow leads to traffic woes at Ngee Ann City

LAST Saturday, I was among many people in the queue at Ngee Ann City's taxi stand who had to put up with blaring horns as motorists jostled with one another to exit the building.

Taxi drivers who had picked up passengers, as well as those who had dropped people off, were trying to turn a corner to leave Ngee Ann City, while vehicles leaving the carpark were merging into the same turn.

Worse still, the traffic on the road outside was just as heavy, preventing vehicles from leaving the building.

Shouldn't the building's owner deploy staff to direct traffic when there is serious congestion?

The flow of traffic seemed badly designed. Cabbies dropping off passengers were on the left lane while empty cabs entering the taxi stand were on the right. After dropping off passengers, the empty taxis were unable to join the taxis queuing to pick up passengers at the taxi stand.

Cabbies have to turn out of Ngee Ann City and then turn back in to join the queue. This adds to the traffic turning out of Ngee Ann City and that on the road leading to the building.

Do the authorities review the traffic flow with building owners, to ensure the route is optimised and that building owners are responsible for directing traffic when there is congestion?

Jacqueline Lim (Madam)