Singapore – Opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leader Chee Soon Juan took to social media to reiterate the need for pedestrian pavements in Bukit Batok after uploading a photo of a lady walking with a young child coming dangerously close to passing vehicles.
Dr Chee was in Bukit Batok Block 190 on Sunday morning (September 6) and witnessed instances where pedestrians walked too close to vehicles passing the area due to the lack of sidewalks. In the latest Facebook post highlighting the issue, Dr Chee attached a photo to prove his point.
“This first photo says it all, doesn’t it? A car came dangerously close to a lady walking with a young child,” he said. “The lady quickly pulled the girl closer to her while the car had to swerve outwards to avoid hitting them.”
“In the short span of an hour, while I was there, I witnessed a few similar incidents where cars were driving uncomfortably close to pedestrians, many with young children, who had to walk on the road because there isn’t a proper and separate pavement for them.”
Dr Chee had spoken to several residents regarding the issue, and they confirmed that this was a problem that needed to be addressed. According to Dr Chee, a resident had brought the matter to the attention of Bukit Batok’s parliamentarian Mr Murali Pillai last year “but was told that if a footpath was built, then the people would want a shelter to cover the walkway which is not possible.”
Since losing for the second time against Mr Murali at Bukit Batok during the 2020 General Elections, Dr Chee has continued highlighting the concerns of residents, standing on the belief that the single member constituency deserves a full-time Member of Parliament (MP).
The MPs at the Town Council seemed not to have learnt the lesson after a fire broke out in 2019 at Bukit Batok Block 210A which resulted in the death of a resident because hose reel cabinets were locked and the water supply was cut off, reminded Dr Chee.
He called for the Jurong-Clementi Town Council to look into the matter and take action before something serious happens. “The safety of residents must not be compromised.”
Members from the online community agreed with Dr Chee, noting the “people only wanted a footpath for safety purposes.” Facebook user Donnie Lee observed the lack of a safe walkway for pedestrians was “pretty common in most estates.”
Others wondered if the management involved were waiting for an incident to occur before constructing a pavement in the area.
https://www.facebook.com/cheesoonjuan/posts/10160817032093849
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