Angullia Park near Wheelock Place
ORCHARD ROAD'S BLOCKHEADS
Drivers spotted jamming S'pore roads during festive season
at:
Angullia Park near Wheelock Place
Open-air carpark opposite Wheelock Place
Orchard Turn which leads to Ngee Ann City taxi stand
By Zaihan Mohamed Yusof
December 22, 2007
THE festive jam along Orchard Road is being made worse by
inconsiderate motorists who don't give a hoot when others
toot.
Gridlock at carpark entrance at Wheelock Place. -- Picture: ZAIHAN
MOHD YUSOF
During the season of goodwill, the spirit of giving way is nowhere
in sight.
These motorists choose to block the way of others instead of
parking properly. They block vehicles trying to make an exit by
illegally parking at no-stopping zones. And these 'blockheads' jump
queues indiscriminately.
Over the last three days, The New Paper team has observed
inconsiderate drivers behaving badly at three spots along Orchard
Road.
AT A STANDSTILL
Last Tuesday, at Angullia Park - a two-lane street near Wheelock
Place - traffic came to a standstill for 10 minutes when six
drivers parked their vehicles on both sides of the busy road. The
selfish drivers ignored others who had gestured them to move
off.
Motorists entering Angullia Park were blocked by two taxis parked
on the left side of the road (near Liat Towers) and two goods
vehicles parked on the right side.
This left a space barely enough for a car to go through and as a
result, one vehicle got stuck in the small passageway.
For the next 25 minutes, frustrated drivers kept honking
away.
The traffic was made even worse when a line started to form from
the entrance of the Wheelock Place carpark, even though the
'carpark full' sign was displayed.
One motorist, Mr S Gopinathan, 36, said: 'I'm late for an
appointment just because some drivers think they can park their
cars illegally as though it was their fathers' road.
'If I had known I would be caught (in the jam), I would have walked
to my meeting (a few hundred metres away).'
Two impatient motorcyclists escaped the congestion by riding on the
sidewalk.
One woman at a taxi-stand at Liat Towers, tired of waiting, was
seen leaving the queue in a huff.
Ms Edna Toh, 24, said: 'I'm next in line for the taxi, but what's
the point of taking one when it's going to be stuck (in
traffic)?'
FAILING TO GIVE WAY
At the open-air carpark opposite Wheelock Place (behind Far East
Shopping Centre), a race was on to get parking space.
While most drivers waited patiently, two had reversed their cars
against the traffic flow to secure parking spots.
One driver, who was trying to vacate a parking lot, found it hard
to do so as his car's path was blocked.
The driver, Mr Jaslan Samad, 42, said: 'When a jam happens,
Singaporeans tend to show their 'kiasu' side - so afraid to give
way and lose that precious one inch of road space.'
Mr Henry Tay, security manager at Meritus Mandarin, has seen such
scenes being replayed every year. He said the traffic build-up
usually starts two weeks before Christmas.
'During the festive season, motorists are in a rush to party, dine
or shop, and that's usually how the traffic jam starts, when they
are unwilling to give way,' he said.
'At the traffic junction, motorists sometimes tail each other. They
try to inch through before the light turns red, but can't, and they
get stuck right in the middle of the junction, blocking oncoming
traffic on the other side when the green light goes on for
them.'
At other locations, remedial measures were taken sometimes when
traffic woes worsened.
On weekends and holidays, Orchard Turn - the road leading into the
taxi stand of Ngee Ann City - is typically slow-moving.
Yesterday, traffic wardens were out in force to guide motorists
heading there.
By late afternoon, motorists were told that the parking lots at the
shopping mall were full.
PARKING AT BUS BAY
Some drivers obediently turned away but a few got creative.
Two vehicles - a car and a pickup - conveniently parked at the bus
bay, with the drivers waiting in the vehicles for at least 10
minutes.
Later, a woman carrying shopping bags came running towards the car
as a bus was seen approaching the bus stop. The vehicles left just
as the bus was about to leave.
Apart from motorists, pedestrians were reckless, too.
Some ignored the traffic signals at two pedestrian crossings -
between Ngee Ann City and Meritus Mandarin, and between Paragon and
Crown Prince Hotel. They crossed in large groups even when the
lights were red.
Cars heading to Bideford Road sometimes found themselves surrounded
by a sea of pedestrians.
The police say pedestrians endanger themselves and the lives of
others by crossing the road in a dangerous manner, and warn against
such unnecessary risks.
Oh, why do we lose our heads in trying to get ahead of the
crowds?
