Friday, July 4, 2008

Transportation, Road Plans For F1 Race Out

Sourc : The Business Times, July 4, 2008

Road closures, diversions from Sept 20-Oct 2; 26 bus services affected

TRAFFIC and transportation plans to transform Singapore's city streets into a race circuit for the 2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix were unveiled yesterday.



















A series of road closures in the Marina Centre area will be implemented between Sept 20 and Oct 2 in three phases. Among the roads that will be either closed or restricted are St Andrew's Road, Raffles Avenue, Nicoll Highway, Esplanade Drive, Stamford Road and Temasek Avenue. Traffic wardens will be on hand to direct traffic.

'The best way to travel to the area is to use public transportation,' said Yam Ah Mee, chief executive of LTA, highlighting that congestion and delays were expected on the roads.

Stakeholders, such as those working in the area and delivery vehicles, will be given accredited labels for priority access into restricted areas. Public transportation services are also gearing up to cope with the high volume of commuters. Trains will be running every two to three minutes during peak and race dispersal periods, as opposed to the average three minutes currently. Operating hours for public transportation may also be extended.

However, 26 bus services will be diverted to nearby roads and the Marina Centre Bus Terminal will be closed during road closure periods. Non-basic bus services, such as the Night Rider and Premium Buses, will also be affected. Information regarding the diverted routes will be available at affected bus stops and on the websites of the public transport operators.

A complimentary shuttle bus service from Bugis and City Hall MRT stations will run between Sept 20 and 29, carrying passengers to four stops along North Bridge Road and in the Suntec City area.

The two existing taxi stands at Suntec Tower 2 and 3 will remain operational, while a third temporary one will be set up at Suntec City Driveway. Other operational taxi stands are at the Millenia Tower and the Conrad Hotel.

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