Radical solutions for best results: Traffic congestions

[KARTer]

Radical solutions can and have solved problems even the experts fail to resolve.

 

For example: if you have only a tiny 'fun' dog the size of a kitten, how do you make it work for you stop burglers breaking into your house? Tiny dog against 200 pounder burgler, or even a noraml 70kg desparate drug addict trying to steal our money while you are sleeping?

Impossible??

 

No, it's highly possible AND effective!! ............

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

you only need two things to turn this tiny dog into burgler-stopper, no need to swap it with a huge watchdog...

 

 

you need: #1 an burgler alarm button where the tiny dog can reach easily (go NTUC hyper mart to get one, cheap), #2 the dog must not fall asleep (easy, they dont)

 

Train the tiny dog to press the button whenever he sees stranger at night (most dog, 99% can be easily trained to do it)

 

 

Ok, back to the topic.

 

One radical solution I can think of also has the side benefit of reducing air pollution.

 

Why do people need cars? Ans: to get from A to B (work, shop, leisure, see friends, etc). In tiny singapore, these journeys usually last not more than 10 to 40 mins and therefore it doesnt matter if you travel in a big (ie E or S- class merc) or small (1000cc or below) car. The comfort or lack of it on this relatively short trips is not going to be a big issue.

 

So, let's make it a default mode of travel within Spore by, wait for it.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

using a car-shareing system where the user can pre-book the use of such a small car and pay for the use based of length of use and whether it's peak or non-peak hours. A car-sharing system allows the costs of car ownership / maintenance etc to be shared amongst the users. This is more economical as compared of owning / maintaining one's own private car. After all, why pay for full costs of ownership if he only uses his car less than half the time??

 

The car-sharing system can have its fleet consists of mainly 1000cc cars (good enough for most users) and some larger models. It can have these cars parked at strategic locations for users to pick up and return. There are electronic systems available for booking, payments etc etc. In fact there are already a few such systems in Spore market, only thing is that they are not large scale.

 

If somehow LTA can make it attractive thru its rules for the people to use such a system, plus making great improvements in MRT / Buses, we can see traffic congestions reduced in a big way. Why? for daily trips to work, more people will take MRT / buses, those who insist on driving, can use the car-share system and pay for it. But when he reaches his office and park the shared-car, the car can be reused by another user who will pay for the use. During the day. This way, we wont see car parks in office areas full of idle cars between 9am-6pm, the cars are being used by others who need them during office hours.

 

Same for weekends and public holidays, the same fleet of shared-cars will be booked and used by families who need them for say between 1 to 8 hours whatever it is.

 

The key advantages are: (a) Shared cost, (b) Cars are fully utalised instead of parked idling. Due to fleet ownership, the companies who operates these cars have the economy of scale to keep maintenance low. The roadtax / insurance costs are shared by many 'users' through rentals.

 

So with the above system, we have low cost use of cars and if these cars are hybric or electric, our envirnment will be cleaner than it is now.

 

You may ask: if I dont like the cars such a system offers, can I have my model of choice? Yes, you will have to buy and maintain one as per current situation, but LTA may up the COE / rdtax / ERP for such private car and use the money collected to off-set the costs of keeping such car-shared systems. ie you pay for the option of having the model you like.

 

On the average, four 1000cc cars use the same road space of three full size cars, or even less. This certainly will help ease traffic congestions.

 

For those who die die must have either big or high power cars, as explain above, they can have it but pay a high price. Yes, it's a socialists' concept, but due to our small land size and high population density, it seems to be a viable solution.

 

The details can be worked out especially with electronic smart systems available in the global market.

 

BTW, LTA can also rent out high power / big cars on requests, at a higher price as mentioned. I wont mind splurging and rent one once in a while. This way, i can still get to enjoy such cars (say on weekends, or once in a while) without having to buy and maintain one in full. I can even try out different models for each weekends.

 

Overall, we can have a choice of MRT / buses or rent/share a car. It's more cost effective and we can have less traffic congestions and a cleaner environment.

Edited May 28, 2011 by KARTer

[Expertz]

you can already rent cars off dealers but at a very high price

a LTA run car loan system will only congest the roads further because it'll allow people who cannot afford cars to drive cars

 

i believe the best way to reduce congestion is to get cars off the roads as fast as possible - increase expressway speed limits, remove speed cameras and remove ERP

if people have to detour just to save on ERP, they'll remain on the roads longer; by removing ERP gantries, people will default to take the shortest and fastest possible route

[KARTer]

you can already rent cars off dealers but at a very high price

a LTA run car loan system will only congest the roads further because it'll allow people who cannot afford cars to drive cars

 

i believe the best way to reduce congestion is to get cars off the roads as fast as possible - increase expressway speed limits, remove speed cameras and remove ERP

if people have to detour just to save on ERP, they'll remain on the roads longer; by removing ERP gantries, people will default to take the shortest and fastest possible route

the car-sharing cooperatives in my suggestion actually help reduce the total number of cars in sgp due to the sharing arrangements.

 

For example, family A needs a car mainly in the day, faimly B needs it only in the evening. Under the current system, these two families own one car each, we end up having two cars on the road. Under the car-sharing system, A n B share one car, we end up having only one car on the road.

 

Usually, in a car-sharing cooperative, it's members share a pool of cars. Let's say 100 member families share 30 cars. The reduction in car population can be substantial.

 

Of course, the car-sharing system has to be complemented by a efficient public transport systems to complete the push for lesser cars on the roads.

Edited May 29, 2011 by KARTer

[Dallii]

u might wanna check out clean mobility sg

 

scroll down to the bottom part. it's about car sharing.

 

 

they got 1 survey here it's a survey about the car sharing and it tells u a bit more about it. just do the survey about 10 mins only.

[Syaheerbmw]

I've tried car sharing before from this certain company.. One thing I do not like about car sharing is that, although they have a lot of stations, we can only return the car to that particular one. This causes inconvenience because let's say, I only need the car to go to a certain meeting, the car will be parked there for the span of the meeting, say 2 hours, then it takes me another 30mins journey back. I need to pay for 3 hours, which 2 hours is of no use and it's not my car..

[Hypermiler]

 

Have thought of the idea before.

 

Alternatively we can have private arrangements among people we know or people who agree... to ride in one car to similar destinations. Compensation to be decided and agreed privately amongst rider and driver.

 

That way, instead of having 4 or 3 cars on the road, it is reduced to one.

 

It depends on how willing people are to this idea.

 

We use to do it long ago when entering the CBD is free as long as there are 4 persons in the car... until the govt stopped the scheme and started charging every car that passes the gantry.

[Gitanic]

can buy land r not?We've got money.

[Unfair]

Can we disallow use of commercial vehicles for personal usage ??

 

Its always farked up to see so many of them on the roads even on Sundays.

Huge ass lorries and vans not carrying any goods.

[KARTer]

Have thought of the idea before.

 

Alternatively we can have private arrangements among people we know or people who agree... to ride in one car to similar destinations. Compensation to be decided and agreed privately amongst rider and driver.

 

That way, instead of having 4 or 3 cars on the road, it is reduced to one.

 

It depends on how willing people are to this idea.

 

We use to do it long ago when entering the CBD is free as long as there are 4 persons in the car... until the govt stopped the scheme and started charging every car that passes the gantry.

yes, i remember picking up 3 passengers on my way to CBD and got to enter the 'gate' free.... these are actually strangers. the system worked well.

[Cerano]

what happened to pride of ownership ???

[KARTer]

what happened to pride of ownership ???

unfortunately, in tiny spore with overcrowded population, something has to give, so pride of ownership may have to become indifference to ownership mindset........... but maybe if we think hard enough, there will be a solution soon.

 

for those who need to own a car, they still can do it and it shouldnt cost them too much to own one (with the car-shared and much improved MRT/buses system, owning a car should do away with high COE/ARF/RdTx etc), but to drive one on the road, they have to pay ERP as per km travelled

 

i will still own one but use it only during off-peak hours and on un-congested roads to avoid paying high ERP... (off-peak and off-congestion roads should have low low ERP, or no ERP)........ week days i take MRT/buses or rent a car-sharing 1000cc...

Edited May 29, 2011 by KARTer

[Steptronic]

Why can't we build second level of roads over existing and double the COE quota? This concept is successful in many countries like Thailand!

[Mustank]

this kind of traffic topic sure must include tbe idea of decentralisation of city centre

[KARTer]

this kind of traffic topic sure must include tbe idea of decentralisation of city centre

In fact, if we can decentralise plus work-from-home, or work 4-day-week (but still clock say 45hrs per week), traffic flows will be reduced.... staggered working hours (need careful planning / coordination etc) helps also.

 

Acually with improvements in video conferencing etc, no need to go into office everyday.

 

In CBD, many streets can be converted to bicycle-only (with cheap/free use of bicycles), not difficult to provide simple roof over these streets for rain protection. If this is done, more will cycle to work or at least move around CBD on bikes. Healthy for the bodies also.

 

In Paris, they offered such bicycles (with electric motor), free and easy.

[Hypermiler]

 

Past few days while strolling about in HDB estates I have been looking at the LRT system intently.

 

I was thinking. We can have short direct connecting LRTs in traffic critical areas. LRTs connecting into major buildings above road level. Or LRTs serving from one main landmark to another.

 

If you visit countries where railway is a major part of their history, you'd have noticed many of them retained their old rail system serving short but popular routes all over the country. Each having it's own design and running gauge.

 

We do not have a long transportation history but we can borrow other's ideas that have proven useful and positive.

 

We need to identify the places where these LRTs can serve its best. Drivers who find the system comfortable and convenient will definitely park and ride, rather than drive and spend time looking for another parking lot at the new location.

 

By the way, LRTs need not be huge in size (which costs more). Some can be designed smaller running on narrower gauges that can negotiate tighter corners and passing thru congested areas once thought impossible.

[Hypermiler]

yes, i remember picking up 3 passengers on my way to CBD and got to enter the 'gate' free.... these are actually strangers. the system worked well.

 

My friends and I used to rotate "driving duty". Some days they drive, some days I drive. Others who hop along to work usually buy breakfast for the drivers.

 

[Thedream]

this kind of traffic topic sure must include tbe idea of decentralisation of city centre

 

*like*

[KARTer]

My friends and I used to rotate "driving duty". Some days they drive, some days I drive. Others who hop along to work usually buy breakfast for the drivers.

it all worked pretty well right? ........ but suddenly LTA threw away what worked and introduced COE/ERP....