Farewell MyQueenstown

Farewell MyQueenstown #7 - Farewell KTM Tracks

On 30 Jun 2011 | 6 Comments

Much has been written about KTM Tracks lately. A simple search on Google and Yahoo will bring you to numerous websites such as this and this. After all, this cantankerous relic was Singapore's brave new world in the early 20th century.  I have always been a believer of my secondary school's motto, "Rooted in Tradition, Equipped for the Future."

永别了!女皇镇!#7 一摊油条传三代

On 30 Apr 2011 | 1 Comments

一摊油条传三代 在玛格列熟食中心,“生活公市”说得上是个客至如云的摊子。这个小摊子,不售卖任何煮炒;摊子主人则一年三百六十五天,天天在摊内起个炉炸上一条条的油条。 “生活公市”摊主李马才先生(58岁)是这家油条摊的第三代。 祖父自中国南来便炸油条为业,后来其父亦继承了祖父的业务。“生活公市”自1969年起,正式迁入玛格列熟食中心营业。李先生从小便跟随父亲学手艺,在油锅边打转。 李先生的油条,以香脆爽口闻名。在80年代初,李先生每一日几乎可炸近200条油条。李家一家五人总要齐齐上阵来应付顾客的需要。 如今,虽然李先生的摊子已搬迁到亚历山大村熟食中心,但他对玛格列熟食中心仍然十分怀念。再见了,玛格列熟食中心!

Farewell MyQueenstown #6 - The Taste of Wanton Noodle Lingers...

On 24 Mar 2011 | 18 Comments

Mr. Phoon Hon Sun, 64, and his family started selling barbeque pork from a pushcart at the terminal for Hock Lee bus service no.9 some 53 years ago. The bus terminal was located next to Blocks 6B and 7 along Margaret Close, a cluster of flats which were demolished during the 1990s. A familiar sight no more Every afternoon, residents who lived in the seven

Home Sweet Home @ MyQueenstown

Home Sweet Home #15 - A New Day Has Come =)

On 24 Apr 2011 | 11 Comments

Last week, MyQueenstown team interviewed Mdm Chan about her life in Blk 15 Holland Drive. Under SERS, she was assigned a new apartment in the newly developed blocks just a stone throw sway. Today, we visit Hisham Suni, 38, who moved over from Blk 17 to his new apartment in Blk 18C Holland Drive. Hisham Suni and his son =) Hisham is delighted by his new ap

Home Sweet Home #14 - Farewell Holland Drive

On 17 Apr 2011 | 3 Comments

Blk 15, Holland Drive looked vacant and cold when MyQueenstown team visited this morning. The shop houses under the apartment block were all covered with card boards and all that was left were traces of glass panels, which could possibly be a beauty parlor in its place before. The lift was still working. Mdm Chan - a long time resident at Holland Drive A c

Home Sweet Home #13 - Commonwealth 10! Here I Come!

On 10 Apr 2011 | 3 Comments

The front door was wide open when MyQueenstown team visited Mr Lee, 78, at his apartment in Blk 74 Commonwealth Drive. Feeling curious, we knocked onto the door and was greeted by a sleepy looking Mr Lee. Mr Lee who lives alone at Block 74 Retired more than a decade ago, Mr Lee is living alone as he prefers being independent to tagging along with his chi

News@MyQueenstown

Response to Straits Times Forum: "Active Citizenry Needs Space to Find Its Feet"

On 26 Aug 2011 | 25 Comments

A week ago, Mr. Eric Tan, Director of the National Archives of Singapore, explained that the archives have generously acceded to our requests for photographs to be published in our website, upcoming book and newsletter. This was not the full story. Last year, we wrote in to the National Archives of Singapore, requesting them to sponsor photographs of the ol

MyQueenstown Celebrates: Consecration Ceremony at Sri Muneeswaran Temple!

On 10 Jul 2011 | 1 Comments

Tanglin Halt residents are wokened up by the vociferous wailing of nadaswaram and thavil ensemble at Sri Muneeswaran Temple this morning. More than 15,000 residents and devotees have gathered at the Southeast Asia's largest Hindu temple worshiping the Muneeswaran god to witness the consecration ceremony. A consecration ceremony is a festive occasion done on

女皇镇1周新闻快讯 - 第二十五期

On 08 Jul 2011 | 6 Comments

女皇弄组屋 同一垃圾糟 两年3纵火  女皇弄组屋走廊垃圾糟,三度起火,居民人心惶惶,警列恶作剧纵火处理。 位于女皇镇一带的女皇弄第21座组屋8楼的电梯口,今早7时15分左右发生大火。 一名住在事发地点附近的居民,惊见滚滚黑烟从该处冒出 最高74万5000元 最低40多万 女皇镇 四房转售价 相差近37万  在热门组屋区女皇镇里,有四房式组屋最近以74万5000元的最高价转售,但也有37万8000元。 组屋溢价回升之际,热门地点如女皇镇的组屋转售价也持续攀升。今年4月,一间位于女皇镇史达拉摩道(Strathmore Ave)的四房式高楼单位,以74万5000元售出。 最后一次乘搭火车北上  火车开动了!该各就各位了吧。经过女皇镇、武吉知马、武吉班让时看到铁路旁站着许

My Father and I

Former Tanglin Halt Industrial Estate

On 14 May 2011 | 2 Comments

The industrialisation programme took off in Queenstown when the Tanglin Halt Industrial Estate was established to generate employment in the neighbourhood. Initially, the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) planned a small industrial estate at Tanglin Halt to provide employment for the new residents. Measuring some 20 acres of land consisting of 38 factories

Queenstown Baptist Church

On 03 May 2011 | 1 Comments

The Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) set aside seven sites for religious use and advertised for religious organisations to ballot in the 1950s. Of the ten enquiries received, four withdrew, leaving six Christian organisations. These went on to build the first churches of Queenstown; Queenstown Baptist Church, Queenstown Lutheran Church, Faith Methodist Ch

Archipelago Brewery Company (Anchorpoint)

On 22 Apr 2011 | 3 Comments

Established in 1931 by German businessmen, Archipelago Brewery Company was the first commercial brewery in Singapore. It was located next to the Malayan Railway, which provided convenient transportation for exporting the beer in Tanjong Pagar. Archipelago Brewery Company One of the more popular beer produced at Archipelago Brewery Company was Anchor Beer.

Makan Shiok!

Snacks Attack #13 - Ah Luck Bean Curd

On 23 Dec 2010 | 2 Comments

Mr Chua, 25, runs Ah Luck Beancurd in Tanglin Halt market for more than 2 years. He is renting the stall from the original owner who has based his stall in the same area for more than 40 years. Ah Luck Bean Curd offers drinks and deserts such as soya bean drink, grass jelly and the residents' favorite soya bean curd (60 cents). A Delicious Bowl of Bean Curd

Snacks Attack #12 - Satay Mad in Tanglin Halt!

On 16 Dec 2010 | 7 Comments

 Ann, 46 runs the family food stall for over 10 years in Tanglin Halt hawker centre. Serving halal food for over a decade in the same place, Ann has integrated her dishes to suit the taste buds of Queenstown residents, especially the Malay community. The simple food stall offers snacks such as satay, otah and seafood dishes. As a family styled bus

Snacks Attack #11 - Almond & Peanut Paste!

On 09 Dec 2010 | 0 Comments

DessertStory, located in Anchorpoint basement one, has been serving residents tasty snacks and deserts for the past four years. Wendy, the supervisor of the cafe, introduced the various homemade desserts that they offer. A bowl of Almond Paste Hot desserts are mainly the favourite choice among Queenstown residents. Firstly, they have almond paste which is m

Random Thoughts @ MyQueenstown

Random Thoughts @ MyQueenstown #9 - 7 Funerals in 2 weeks

On 22 May 2011 | 0 Comments

7 funerals in 2 weeks. There is a flurry of "activity" these two weeks for correspondents from My Queenstown. We did not leave our traces in photographs as a mark of respect for the deceased. We did leave our sincere prayers and heartfelt condolences for those present. Quietly and fleetingly, we made our way to some of the funerals and understood that all o

Random Thoughts @ MyQueenstown #8 - Block 39A No More (The Removal of Block 39A Part I)

On 05 Apr 2011 | 8 Comments

On a Friday afternoon three weeks ago, several Bangladeshi workers, presumably from the Town Council, took their tool boxes to the lift lobby of Block 39A. In less than half an hour, they carried a metallic frame on their shoulders and placed it on a lorry parked in front of the apartment block. Farewell Block 39A The letterboxes The stretch of corrid

Random Thoughts @ MyQueenstown #7 - A New Coat of Paint

On 22 Mar 2011 | 1 Comments

The Point Blocks, along with 5 other blocks at Mei Ling Street were given a new coat of paint over the past week. The familiar combination of blue, yellow and orange was a thing of the past as these foreign workers toiled day and night, rain or shine to make Mei Ling Street "attractive again." White seems to be the "in" thing in Queenstown lately. Ten-store

Other Recent Articles

MyQueenstown Votes #4 - Feeder Service Woes

By my queenstown on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 with 8 comments

If you are resident living near bus stops and MRT Stations, you are liking to marvel at the convenience and accessibility of public buses in Queenstown. Journeys to Town or work places in the industrial estates are relatively short and bus frequencies are usually reliable and fast. Shenton Way? 25 minutes. City Hall MRT Station? 12 minutes. Orchard Road? 15 minutes. Boon Lay MRT Station? 17 minutes. At most bus stops along Queensway and Commonwealth Avenue in Queenstown, residents can hop onto a bus service that bring them to their destination directly. However, if you are a resident living in the heart of districts such as Commonwealth Crescent, Commonwealth Drive or Mei Ling Street, you may not benefit from the transport services at all.

Let's talk about the bus services which serve the various districts. Bus service 32 is a popular service for residents plying from Commonwealth/Red Hill MRT to Strathmore and Margaret Drive. Residents waiting for this service at Commonwealth MRT Station will notice that the service will arrive "at 4 minutes" for an extended period of time at the electronic display screen. During peak hours, waiting time can be as long as 30 minutes. If you are heading home at Strathmore from Redhill at 9pm, don't be startled that the bus may arrive some 15-45 minutes. There are new developments at Dawson and Strathmore but the frequencies remain atrocious.

Bus Service 195 - another unreliable service

Same goes for Bus Service 195. It either comes in pairs or once in a blue, blue moon! These complains, courtesy of feedbacks from residents, appear very common in our services. However, it must be understood that these trunk services serve as feeder services for Queenstown residents. Hence, the frequency for the service is atrocious because of operators such as SBS transit are keen on profit maximising and not keen on providing quality services. Well, let's take a look at other estates. Feeder services in Jurong West averaged 5-8 minutes whereas those in Choa Chu Kang averaged only 3-7 minutes (according to the operators' website). 

Residents in Strathmore and Mei Ling Street have petitioned strongly for such service lately. On one hand, stallholders in Mei Chin Market are looking forward for a reliable service so as to improve the traffic flow to the market area. On the other hand, residents are looking forward to more bus services plying along Margaret Drive and Strathmore Avenue which bring them to markets prior to the demolishing of Margaret Drive Food Centre.

However, reliable sources indicate that all of these requests are wishful thinking. The LTA has rejected residents' request to extend Bus Service 64 to the MRT Station and Polyclinic so that residents from Mei Ling Street can travel home from Queenstown Station. Have you recalled that Mei Ling/Mei Chin district in Queenstown is a hilly region where elderly residents got to climb flights of stairs every day to reach home? (Read Here) This service will certainly make travelling more convenient for the elderly folks in Mei Ling!

Will there be an end to this transport "mess"? Perhaps, that is what elderly residents in Mei Ling/MeiChin have to "tahan" to their death bed.

Wei Jie


POST COMMENT

8 comments:

Unknown said...
April 12, 2011 at 10:44 PM

That's my Service 32 photo!

- Varun Naidu

Have you read my bus blog? :)

Gem said...
April 13, 2011 at 12:30 PM

You should acknowledge your sources properly...saying "online sources" is not good journalistic practice. Generally your blog is alright - but do take the extra effort to raise your standards.

Unknown said...
April 13, 2011 at 3:41 PM

I would appreciate it if you can change the acknowledgement of your sources to the title and url of where you took these photos from, as it's basic respect for the photographers involved.

Asri said...
April 13, 2011 at 11:36 PM

Why not suggest a new Townlink service which loops around the estate and link them towards MRT stations / bus terminal for greater connectivity ? Having only trunk (long distance) services plying through an estate certainly does not help ; because of traffic/human jams along the way. Service 32 and 195 happens to be a trunk-operated service by the way , since 32 plies from Buona Vista - Bedok while 195 is an ''ultra-long'' loop trunk service . However , if petition of having a townlink service fails to be approved by LTA , why not suggest a Short-Working Trip service (which usually has a letter after a service number) ? Short-Working Trip services only cater the most needed (high demand) sectors of a service; which would definitely benefit to those who want to travel to places in a much faster time. :)

Anonymous said...
April 15, 2011 at 7:54 AM

There is no comparison from the older, less populated estate like Queenstown to the newer, more densely populated ones like Jurong West and Choa Chu Kang. Looking at the how empty 32 buses are even during peak times (it is precisely because the shops/FC at Margret Drive have closed down that no one takes 32 to these places anymore), there are no financial incentives to operative these buses more frequently. Yes, older residents once again have to wait long after they're at their "deathbeds" until all the new developments are up in 10 years time. That's very, very sad and shows where the government's emphasis are (new and young, instead of the old, who made Singapore what it is today).

Pinky said...
April 22, 2011 at 1:40 PM

Check out BYK's posting on his facebook, seems like he has plans for a bus re-route.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/photo.php?fbid=1632101132391&set=a.1488349738696.2061120.1532547712&type=1&theater

Dr Purva Pius said...
April 25, 2017 at 5:47 PM

My name is.Mrs.Anna Daniel. I live in Ukraine i am a happy woman today? i need to use this time to tell all people how i got my loan from this honest and God fearing man loan lender that help me with a loan of $84,000 please contact him. if you also need a loan without any problem he name is Dr Purva Pius email (urgentloan22@gmail.com) tell him that is Mrs.Anna Daniel that refer you to he

Mrs CYNTHIA CORVIN said...
November 27, 2017 at 3:27 AM

Hello Everybody,
My name is Mrs Sharon Sim. I live in Singapore and i am a happy woman today? and i told my self that any lender that rescue my family from our poor situation, i will refer any person that is looking for loan to him, he gave me happiness to me and my family, i was in need of a loan of S$250,000.00 to start my life all over as i am a single mother with 3 kids I met this honest and GOD fearing man loan lender that help me with a loan of S$250,000.00 SG. Dollar, he is a GOD fearing man, if you are in need of loan and you will pay back the loan please contact him tell him that is Mrs Sharon, that refer you to him. contact Dr Purva Pius,via email:urgentloan22@gmail.com Thank you

Post a Comment