HAROLD CHAI: It’s about time the government did something about the problematic Bukit Panjang LRT system, which has literally been giving problems since Day 1.
Among the problems causing disruptions to the line, according to Transport Minister Khaw, are uneven terrain, sharp bends, and the issue of trains leaving the station having to constantly switch tracks, making the switch point a “critical vulnerability”.
Transport operator SMRT and the LTA recently mulled the possibility of scrapping the line altogether.
Thank goodness that didn’t happen.
As Mr Khaw rightly pointed out, even replacing the problematic line with an all-bus system wouldn’t work because our road networks won’t be able to sustain the spike in traffic.
He signalled the right move forward instead – replace aging parts of the train and system, and re-design the track layout and Bukit Panjang LRT Station to make things work better.
As someone who uses the LRT, I’m very relieved we didn’t go with that all-bus system idea.
Otherwise, I’d probably have to wake up an hour earlier every morning, anticipating traffic jams on the already-narrow roads.
Let’s hope the efforts to bring about a “step-jump in reliability” work.
