Suntec City's no-drive zone
plan
For 10 days next month, roads nearby will be partially or fully
closed for the IMF, World Bank group annual meeting
Derrick A Paulo
[email protected]
SUNTEC City is set to become a no-drive zone of sorts for 10 days
next month.
The police plan to close roads in the vicinity and the Marina Bay
area during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank group
annual meetings, which will be attended by 16,000 delegates.
That means taxis will be barred from the affected roads, public
buses and shuttle services will be rerouted, a few bus stops and
car park entrances will be closed, and parking restrictions will be
strictly enforced.
At least three roads will be completely shut and eight other roads
will be partially closed. So, public transport should be the way to
go to and from the area, said the police in a media briefing
yesterday.
To begin with, the Suntec Singapore International Convention and
Exhibition Centre, the main venue for the meetings, will be closed
to the public from Sept 8 three days before the meetings begin
until Sept 20, when they end.
Suntec City Mall and the office buildings will remain open.
From 10pm on Sept 10, the longest stretch of road closure will be
along Nicoll Highway heading to the city, while a shorter section
in the eastbound direction will be closed.
The other road closures until Sept 20 are along both carriageways
of Temasek Boulevard the main road leading to Suntec Singapore
and the short stretch of Raffles Boulevard closest to the
building.
Already, motorists will be able to see bright neon signs put up
along the street to inform them of the coming road closures. Two
weeks before the event, there will be advisory signs to indicate
alternative routes. Once the roads are closed, there will be
directional signs so that drivers will know where to turn.
Said Traffic Police Commander Ng Guat Ting: "Congestion and delays
are expected during this period ... We seek the public's patience
and cooperation in securing everyone's safety."
For members of the public who take cabs, they can only stop at
Suntec Towers 1 and 2 (outside Mango), between Suntec Towers 3 and
4 (outside Carrefour) and Marina Square (opposite Pan Pacific
Hotel). Shuttle buses will stop either at Suntec Tower 2 or
Carrefour.
The lanes of nine roads will also be closed at certain times during
the 10-day period, due to activities hosted at other venues, such
as the Esplanade.
Public transport operators have been apprised of the traffic
arrangements and are ready to cater to any increased ridership to
the area if people switch to public transport.
"We are going to use our
spare fleet, which are usually for buses that break down. So, we'll
use our entire fleet," ComfortDelGro group corporate
communications officer Tammy Tan told Today.
If motorists still insist on driving, though, they will be able to
pick up one of 300,000 pamphlets the police will be distributing at
Shell, SPC and ExxonMobil petrol kiosks to get a detailed map of
the roads affected.
Motorists like Mr Ron Awyong, 30, will probably give the Suntec
area a miss, though.
"Although Suntec is popular with young parents like myself, there
won't be the usual convenience of driving there," he said. "Imagine
lugging a pram and baby in the human crush if I have to park
further away. And for people who are used to driving, like me,
public transport is a last resort."
Visit www.spf.gov.sg for more information
