Open Letter to LTA

Below is an email I wrote to My Paper in hope of being published as a feedback letter to LTA.

--- START OF LETTER ---

Re: Time to tweak the COE system and improve public transport

A lot of discussion and grievances has been aired recently about the new ERP gantries and most of the points raised by various have been valid in my opinion. Hence I will not go into anymore details about LTA's decision to set up more ERP gantries. Instead, I will like to focus on the overall congestion problem on our roads we are facing now.

Singapore has a lot of roads. However, I sometimes question whether it is necessary for us to build so many roads, roads that occupy precious land space that can be put to better use otherwise. COE is established with the foresight to limit the number of vehicles on the road and it is a good system.

However, it seems that LTA has not been actively restricting the number of certificates released, resulting in a steady growth in the car population to a state where our roads can no longer sustain. I understand that LTA has explained before a formula they use to calculate the number of COE to release to the market but apparently, it is not working.

Therefore I wish to propose a few changes to the COE system:

1. Instead of basing the formula of releasing the number of COE on the amount of road space we have, we should calculate the appropriate number of COE base on the number of households we have. Perhaps the number could be proportional to a set of households with substantial income.

2. Allow households that do not own a car to have priority in bidding for COE. Only COE not utilised then will be opened to two-time buyers.

Of course, the COE system cannot solve the congestion issue by itself. One reason why people still want to purchase cars is that our public transport system are been taxed to the limit with our increasing population. Our MRT barely move fast enough to cater to the peak-hour crowd. If the government is looking at increasing Singapore's population to six million by the next decade, it needs to design and maintain a more efficient public transport system.

Thank you.

--- END OF LETTER ---

Surgery or No Surgery?

I went to see my orthopaedic doctor this afternoon after a 10-year "disappearance act" on my part as I felt that it's time to check out the status of my bones; bones that are already fragile to begin with and have gone through soon-to-be 32 years of ageing. For these ten years, I thought I have done enough to let my fractured bones heal and I have minimal but sufficient exercise to protect them. Alas no! Unfortunately, my right femur has never healed after all these years. Today's X-ray not only shows that the fracture is still there, the disjointed bones have shifted and are solely hold together by the implanted metal rod.

Therefore the doctor gave me a choice. Surgery and I may have a (long) shot at walking or no surgery but maintain on wheelchair without worsening. I really don't feel like having another surgery that is as major as such. I don't know whether my body can take another cut as surgery is very draining, both mentally and physically. Though the doctor said I should have no problem with the surgery physically, it is up to me to be mentally prepared.

I really don't know what to do. Another surgery is going to set me back in so many aspects of my life. And I am not optimistic that it will work as intended. However, it may be my last chance of fixing the fracture before I am too old to do it. So can anyone reading this throws some advice please? I am really at a lost...

MMVIII

3...2...1... Happy New Year 2008! This is my first post of the year and I want to wish all my friends a brand new year of bliss and happiness. Auld lang syne, no matter what have happened in 2007, they are a part of history now and into a collection of memories. Treasure the good ones and let the bad ones out of the window.

I checked my first post of 2007 and noticed that I didn't make any new year's resolutions then and I guess I won't be making any this year as well. Though 2007 has been a year of more downs than ups for me, I am going to reflect upon it as to the things I have done and then look forward to 2008 with a series of plans I wish to accomplish.

Here's wishing everyone a great MMVIII...