SINGAPORE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION
BY: ADIB AIMAN & AMIR DANISH
Singapore is a modern and highly developed country in the Southeast Asia region. This small yet modern country is not to be taken light off. The environment is clean, modern and great if it were to be compared to other nation around the same area. Even it was small in size, but the transportation system is top class. If you are living in Singapore or having vacation there, you don’t have to worry about how to move from place to place. There are some means of transportation in Singapore which are considered the best in the world.
First is by foot. If you are in vacation in Singapore, most of the hotels and lodge are near the attractions that you need to visit in Singapore and is better to walk there while enjoying the scenery. I enjoyed myself walking from place to place as you can see and capture good moments by walking. Singaporean on the other hand prefers to use public transportation as it is efficient, fast and cheaper. Buses and Taxis are prominent way for Singaporean to move from places to places. The service was great and the interior of the vehicles are comfortable and safe, and most of the vehicles are installed with air conditioner which you will love in a tropical country. The system covers most of the places in Singapore, so you can go around places easily and economically. Taxis on the other hand are pretty handy to use as some of the places are not accessible by busses and MRT. The taxis are easy to get as most of the time you can just hailed one by the roadside or you can wait for one at the taxi stand, and there always be one for you.
If you are going to some places and want it fast and comfortable, the MRT is your best answer. Established in the 1980s, the S$5 billion project attempt to connect the northern part of Singapore and the Southern part as well as the eastern and western part of Singapore. Since then the MRT have become a crucial everyday life among the Singaporean. They doesn’t even remember the day that they didn’t go on with the MRT for the past 20 years. Recently the LRT system was also being added to the existing network. It is dependable if you want to get somewhere fast without wanting to face the traffics. Its might be a bit crowded during peak hours but the clean and comfortable interior will not provide you with an unpleasant ride.
The efficient Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) subway system is the easiest, quickest and most comfortable way to get around Singapore. The system operates from 5.30am to midnight, with trains at peak times running every two to three minutes, and off-peak every five to seven minutes. In the inner city, the MRT runs underground, emerging over ground out towards the suburban housing estates. It consists of five color-coded lines. North–South (red), North–East (purple), East–West (green), Circle Line (orange) and Downtown (blue). An extension of the Downtown line known as Downtown 3 is scheduled to open in 2017.
If you're staying in Singapore for more than a day or two, the easiest way to pay for travel on public transport is with the EZ-Link card. The card allows you to travel by train and bus by simply swiping it over sensors as you enter and leave a station or bus. EZ-Link cards can be purchased from the customer service counters at MRT stations for S$12 this includes a S$5 non-refundable deposit. The card can be purchased at 7-Elevens for S$10 including the S$5 non-refundable deposit. Cards can be topped up with cash or by ATM cards at station ticket machines. The minimum top-up value is S$10 while the maximum stored value allowed on your card is S$500.
Hence, if you plan to drive in Singapore, you should bring your current home driver's license along. Some car hire companies may also require you to have an international driving permit. The roads are immaculate and well signed. However, drivers tend to change lanes quickly and sometimes do so without signaling. Motorcycles have a bad habit of riding between cars, especially when traffic is slow. Singaporeans drive on the left hand side of the road and it is compulsory to wear seat belts in the front and back of the car. The Mighty Minds Singapore Street Directory (S$14.90) is invaluable and available from petrol stations, bookshops, Fair Price supermarkets and stationery stores. However, the island has good internet coverage so Google Maps is also a reasonable option.
Furthermore, you can flag down a taxi any time, but in the city center taxis are technically not allowed to stop anywhere except at designated taxi stands. Finding a taxi in the city at certain times is harder than it should be. These include during peak hours, at night, or when it’s raining. Many cab drivers change shifts between 4pm and 5pm, making it notoriously difficult to score a taxi then. The fare system is also complicated, but luckily it’s all metered, so there’s no haggling over fares. The basic flag fall is S$3 to S$3.40 then S$0.22 for every 400m.
We chose to commute by bus, what about you? :)
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