ST : Demand v supply: A chicken-and-egg situation

Nov 20, 2009

Demand v supply: A chicken-and-egg situation

A LACK of public transport services can hamper development.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak, who is an MP from Sembawang GRC, cites the example of his ward.

'There is no direct bus service from Sembawang town to the eastern sector,' he said. 'And when residents request a service that goes to Changi Airport or the Changi area, the reply from the public transport operators is that they have done a survey and found that there is not enough demand for such a route.'

He likens it to a chicken-and-egg situation.

'It's because there are no buses going that direction, therefore residents are less likely to apply for a job there, or to apply for a school there for their children, or to go there for medical, recreational or whatever reason.'

Dr Lim, who is also head of the Transport Government Parliamentary Committee, believes transportation is a great facilitator for development.

'But if you argue that because there is not enough commuter demand, then seriously, which comes first?'

His views are echoed by other MPs, including Mr Charles Chong (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) and Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC).

Mr Chong was a vocal advocate for the North-East Line's Buangkok station to be opened earlier, while Mr Seah was among those who pushed for Stage 3 of the Circle Line to start running - even though the other four stages are not completed.

They point to examples of how new MRT lines have accelerated the growth of new towns.

On that front, is Singapore's rail expansion plan - as ambitious as it is - enough? Can we build even more sooner?

Dr Lim said: 'To build faster will simply mean that we will suck up a lot of the construction industry's resources. We want to maintain a stable construction or civil engineering industry.

'We don't want to load them with a lot of projects, and then suddenly, no project after that. The current pace is reasonable.

'If there are certain projects that can be faster, I welcome it, but not at the expense of a boom-and-bust situation for the construction industry.'

He added that too much construction activity at one go will also contribute to road diversions and traffic snares.

'It has to be staged carefully,' he said.