MM Lee tells Mumbai: maximum time to reach any corner of Singapore is 20 minutes
Sure, I can hear you saying: at 4am in the morning, with outriders helping me to block traffic at the lights, and no speed limit, or my vehicle is a Transformer, I'd get anywhere in Singapore in 20 minutes too.
Actually, it can be done, my skeptical reader. You see, Singapore is about 40km at its widest points, east to west, so if you travel at 120km/h without stopping, and assuming you drive in a straight line, and don't encounter any traffic lights, you CAN make it in 20 minutes.
And when you pay your $5 ERP fee along the CTE, aren't you glad this $5 is helping you not flood the roads, thereby getting you to any corner of Singapore in 20 minutes?
And don't blame the gahmen if you don't get from your corner of Singapore to your destination corner within 20 minutes. You are not staying in the correct corners, that's why.
That's just private cars, mind you. Mumbai should learn from our public transport system too! I reckon the maximum time a bus or a train needs reach any corner of Singapore is, oh, 30 minutes tops.
We're talking Star Trek teleporter speeds here in Singapore, land of the magical, uncongested roads.
From DNAindia.com: City influx shocks Singapore panel
Surendra Gangan Wednesday, October 31, 2007 03:23 ISTMUMBAI: Singapore’s former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew was surprised to know that nearly 300 new families come to the city daily only to find accommodation in slums. Yew shared his thoughts with finance minister of state and guardian minister of the city Jayant Patil, the latter, however, was convinced that Singapore model is not suitable for Mumbai.
Mayor of Mumbai Shubha Raul’s suggestion of imposing licence system for the entry into the city was turned down by Patil as the constitution does not allow such imposition.
Yew led a delegation of the key officials from Singapore that met Patil and others in Mantralaya on Tuesday. “Population of Singapore is 26 lakh and we impose taxes on the citizens whenever development work is undertaken in the city,” he said during the discussion.
Yew told the minister that the land acquisition procedure for any developmental project is completed within two months and claims are taken in subsequent phases. “Congestion taxes on vehicles plying on busy roads are a routine course of action in Singapore. The maximum time to reach any corner of Singapore is 20 minutes as traffic is not allowed to flood the roads,” he added.
However, Patil was said to be convinced that the Singapore model is not suitable for Mumbai as restrictions on the entry into the city could not be imposed and acquisition of land for developmental projects could not be expedited.
