BENDEMEER and Kallang Bahru. These are the two possible
names for a new Downtown Line MRT station.
The public is being offered the chance to vote for the one they
prefer on the Land Transport Authority's website.
They will also be able to pick the names of 12 other upcoming
stations on the eastern section of the line, after the authority
announced its shortlist yesterday.
The stations have each been assigned two possible names, most of
which are closely related to their geographical location. For
example, the station that will be called either Bendemeer or
Kallang Bahru is located near these two places. Another will be
called either Bedok Town Park or Bedok North.
The other 11 stations have been given the working titles: Bedok
Reservoir, River Valley, Bencoolen, Sungei Road, Kallang
Bahru, Mattar, Ubi, Kaki Bukit, Tampines West, Tampines East
amd Upper Changi. In most cases, the working title is one of the
two options that the public can choose from.
The names were shortlisted from more than 2,600 suggestions by
the public after a "contest" launched last December. In choosing
them, the authority said it followed several criteria.
For instance, they must be easy to remember and identify the
area where the station is. If possible, they should reflect the
history or heritage of the area, or the multi-cultural character of
Singapore.
Some quirky suggestions that did not make the cut include:
Tapioca for Ubi station, Little Tokyo for River Valley station;
which has many Japanese people living nearby; and Backpackers for
Bencoolen station, a popular spot for budget travellers.
Log on to http://talk 2lta.lta.gov.sg to vote. The closing date
for polling is July 15. The names that receive the most votes will
be sent to the Street and Building Names Board for approval, and
the final names will be announced in August.
The eastern section of the Downtown Line is scheduled for
completion in 2017.
(Taken from The Straits Times, Thursday, June 2 2011, Page
B3)