I am a regular user of the Sengkang Riverside Park. I have noticed the authorities are in the midst of replacing the drain grating and I welcome it. The old grating could not withstand the weight of vehicles (maintenance and contractors) running over it and bend out of form easily, potential tripping hazard for users.
However, yesterday I noticed to my horror, the solution implemented for this is not replacement of the old grating, but tying thick wooden board with CABLE TIES onto original grating.
This is a terrible solution, the boards are thick, it gives a bumpy ride for cyclists, while joggers might trip or slip especially on rainy days. I used the area more twice per week, the area marked in red will be full of water puddles for hours after a rain due to terrain gradient. I can ensure you within a year, the boards will rot and warp out of shape, even more likely to trip users.
The ideal solution would be those sturdy grating used in the very same park connectors further down the path near the hockey stadium, it is also used in HDB carpark which definitely has more vehicle traffic and they still stood strong. I wonder why this was not done when the drains were built, money could have been saved.
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The above is a letter by one of our readers Goh S H.