Concierge officer Nurhidayu Atan’s morning journey to her workplace in Changi is usually a half-hour taxi ride from her Punggol home, including dropping her daughter at a childcare centre at Changi Business Park.

But yesterday, it took her nearly double the time just to get out of her neighbourhood.

The 32-year-old boarded a cab at Punggol Place at 7.45am, but was still stuck in the area at 8.40am – due to a massive traffic jam along the Tampines Expressway (TPE) caused by an accident involving three cars and two motorcycles.

She told The Straits Times that her taxi driver tried to take a different route instead of the TPE, “but everywhere was at a bottleneck, so we were moving very slowly”.

Her cab fare cost her $32, more than the usual $17 to $20. And she reached work 45 minutes later than usual.

The accident, which happened on the TPE towards Changi Airport after the Lorong Halus exit, took place at about 6.40am.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force sent an ambulance to the scene. Two male motorcyclists, aged 42 and 60, were taken to hospital. The Straits Times understands that their injuries are not serious.

Police are investigating the crash.

Ms Nurhidayu was among scores of commuters in the Punggol and Sengkang areas who were caught in the jam. Many took to social media to post photos of the traffic situation and complain of their ordeal.

Operations executive Zac Hassan, 37, was taking the bus to work when it was caught in the jam at the exit of Punggol Road towards Seletar Expressway.

He usually takes 20 minutes to get to his workplace in the east; it took him an hour yesterday.

He told The Straits Times that traffic jams are not uncommon around Punggol, particularly during the morning peak period.

And this is probably due to more new Housing Board flats in Punggol in recent years, he said.

Punggol’s HDB residential population rose from 65,100 in 2011 to 118,100 last year, while the number of HDB flats doubled from 20,518 to 41,747, according to HDB data.

New slip roads have been built and more bus lanes have been added to ease peak-hour traffic congestions near Punggol and Sengkang.

However, sales director Derek Low, 46, who yesterday took an hour to take his daughter to school in Bedok, instead of the usual 25 minutes, said that the traffic infrastructure in Punggol remains inadequate.

“This accident raises questions over the response time from Traffic Police, the standard procedures to remedy a jam on a major expressway and inadequate infrastructure,” he told The Straits Times.

samboh@sph.com.sg and amock@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Mar 08, 2017.
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A staircase paved with gold foil at a Housing Board block in Jalan Besar has earned an art student praise from netizens, but is reportedly being called an “unauthorised” deed by the town council.

Ms Priyageetha Dia claimed responsibility on Facebook for the work, which took about five hours to complete, writing that the “intervention of the gold finally reverberated against the ever-lifeless and grey architecture on the 20th floor of my block”.

Photos of the “golden staircase” in the Jalan Rajah block first surfaced on the online forum Reddit two days ago, and then citizen journalism website Stomp.

According to Ms Priyageetha’s Facebook profile, she is a student at at the Lasalle College of the Arts.

Today newspaper reported the Jalan Besar Town Council as saying that while it appreciated her “desire to enhance her surrounding space”, the act was unauthorised under the town council’s by-laws.

However, it reportedly said it wants to explore ways in which it and Ms Priyageetha can work together.

When contacted by The Straits Times, the town council’s property officer, who identified himself only as Mr Md Firdaus, said that the case was still under investigation.

The town council did not say if the gold foil would be removed from the staircase.

Ms Priyageetha said in her Facebook post that she had been thinking about decorating the staircase for a month and was apprehensive of the consequences.

“I consider this work as art and not vandalism,” she wrote.

Despite the laws, she felt that she had not defaced anything, but had enhanced her space and surroundings.

“My work does not seek to obliterate a public space; vandalism in all sense has no respect for another individual,” she added.

Ms Priyageetha declined comment when contacted by ST.

At least one of her neighbours has given the work the thumbs up.

Ms Raine Chong, 28, an architect, feels the town council should let the golden staircase remain.

Besides being the subject of a conversation starter among neighbours, Ms Chong said the artwork held a deeper meaning to her.

She noted that her late grandmother, together with 10 children, had been relocated to the Jalan Rajah block from the slums.

“It was their first proper home. This golden staircase, as you can put it, is the ‘stairway to heaven’.”

This is not the first time that a work in a public space that claims to be art has fallen afoul of the law.

On March 2, ST reported that a pagoda-like tower of psychedelic toys, figurines and knick-knacks, erected late last year at a void deck in Yishun, had been described by some as an art installation worthy of a place in the Singapore Biennale.

But it is gone now after the authorities, worried about fire safety, stepped in.

adrianl@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Mar 08, 2017.
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SINGAPORE – Heads up fans of Korean cuisine, the latest bad boys are in town.

McDonald’s will be bringing in two new Korean-inspired burgers on the menu from Thursday (March 9) onwards.

The Seoul Spicy Chicken Burger and Seoul Spicy Beef Burger features the iconic spicy Korean sauce made from fermented soy bean paste, sesame paste, soy sauce, chilli peppers, red paprika and garlic.

The meal also comes with kimchi shaker fries, Peach McFizz and Melon McFlurry with Coconut Jelly.

These new offerings will be available in all McDonald’s outlets and via McDelivery while stocks last.

debwong@sph.com.sg

Singapore has seen more women research scientists and engineers (RSEs) holding PhDs, according to a survey by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star).

The latest National Survey of Research and Development, conducted in 2015, showed there were 2,740 women PhD holders among the (RSEs), compared with 1,729 in 2010. This is a more than 50 per cent increase.

The figures were revealed yesterday by A*Star to mark International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on March 8 every year. Figures for RSE men PhD holders in 2015 are not available.

But there were 7,168 men compared with 2,483 women, according to the 2014 survey – a ratio of nearly three to one.

Similarly, nearly one in three of all RSEs in Singapore is a woman, with the 2014 survey putting the proportion at 29 per cent.

Singapore’s ratio exceeds that of many developed countries and research heavyweights.

In 2013, the latest year for which Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development figures were available, similar ratios in France and Germany were 25 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.

Research scientist Sharon Nai, 39, who holds a PhD in mechanical engineering and leads a team at A*Star researching on 3D additive manufacturing, said she has seen more female interns seeking attachments, something she welcomes.

“The ratio of males to females should not be a hindrance, it is about having passion for the job,” she told The Straits Times.

This is what has kept her in this industry since she joined A*Star’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology in 2002.

“In this field of research, I get to engage the related industries. Being able to contribute is something I value,” she added.

Research scientist Tan Yen Nee, 35, agrees. One of the projects she is working on at A*Star’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering can accelerate the process of discovery for new anti-cancer drugs.

“I am happy to do research that can be translated into something beneficial for our society,” she said.

Dr Tan, who holds a PhD in molecular engineering of the biological and chemical systems and is an adjunct assistant professor at National University of Singapore, said more female students have requested internships or visits to the lab.

But Dr Tan, a mother of two, said there are challenges specific to women scientists like herself, like being more careful during pregnancy.

“I was a bit clumsier when I was pregnant and we do work with some dangerous chemicals in the lab,” she said, adding though that using personal protective equipment is sufficient.

She believes that role models in the science arena should step forward to mentor and encourage younger women to pursue careers.

She said: “It can be difficult, but as women, we can endure and embrace the challenges.”

abigailng@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Mar 08, 2017.
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SINGAPORE – Four taxi companies – ComfortDelGro, Trans-Cab, Premier Taxi and Prime Taxi – have signalled their intention to implement “dynamic fares”, triggering concerns among commuters that cab fares could rise.

More commonly known as surge pricing, a system already in use by ride-hailing service Uber, the move will see fares fluctuate according to demand.

Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng had noted on his Facebook page that it was “not unexpected” that some commuters would feel uncomfortable with its introduction, although he warned that taxi companies would need to ensure that it improves the matching of supply to the demand for taxi services.

Here’s a look at what changes the four companies – along with Grab, another ride-hailing service – are looking to introduce.

1. COMFORTDELGRO

The transport giant, which controls over 60 per cent of cabs in Singapore, has informed the Public Transport Council (PTC) that it intends to introduce “demand-pegged fares” for phone-booked rides.

But unlike Uber’s surge pricing mechanism – informing the commuter of how many times the fare would go up by – ComfortDelGro’s system will simply flash a fare.

Should the customer reject the flat fare, he can choose to go by the metered fare, although it is not certain that cabs will be available for him.

2. TRANS-CAB

The second largest operator with 4,566 taxis plans to implement dynamic fares, which will apply only to commuters hailing a cab via the Grab app.

3. PREMIER TAXI

Premier Taxi, the second-smallest player here with a fleet of 1,889 cabs, has a similar plan to Trans-Cab.

Only commuters using the Grab app will be affected.

4. PRIME TAXI

This is now the latest firm to have informed the PTC of its intention to introduce dynamic fares.

Meantime, in a separate development, the ride-hailing firm Grab is reportedly rolling out a new service – JustGrab – that provides its users with fixed upfront fares when booking a taxi.

This fixed fare takes into account travel time, booking fees, and location- and time-based surcharges.

This article was first published on Mar 7, 2017.
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Education Minister (Schools) Ng Chee Meng announced in Parliament on Tuesday (March 7) that one-fifth of places in all secondary schools with affiliated primary schools are to be set aside for students who do not benefit from affiliation priority by 2019.

Here’s the list of all 27 with the respective affiliated primary schools:

1. ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOL (BARKER ROAD)

Affiliated with: Anglo-Chinese School (Junior), Anglo-Chinese School (Primary)

Read also: Concerns over affiliated school priority

2. ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOL (INDEPENDENT)

Affiliated with: Anglo-Chinese School (Junior), Anglo-Chinese School (Primary)

3. CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

Affiliated with: Catholic High School (Primary)

4. CHIJ KATONG CONVENT

Affiliated with: CHIJ (Katong) Primary

5. CHIJ SECONDARY (TOA PAYOH)

Affiliated with: CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh)

Read also: Expansion of DSA shows ‘strong message’ 

6. CHIJ ST JOSEPH’S CONVENT

Affiliated with: CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity, CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel

7. CHIJ ST NICHOLAS GIRLS’ SCHOOL

Affiliated with: CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School

8. CHIJ ST THERESA’S CONVENT

Affiliated with: CHIJ (Kellock), CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace

9. FAIRFIELD METHODIST SCHOOL (SECONDARY)

Affiliated with: Fairfield Methodist School (Primary)

10. GEYLANG METHODIST SCHOOL (SECONDARY)

Affiliated with: Geylang Methodist School (Primary)

11. HOLY INNOCENTS’ HIGH SCHOOL

Affiliated with: Holy Innocents’ Primary School

12. KUO CHUAN PRESBYTERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL

Affiliated with: Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School

13. MANJUSRI SECONDARY SCHOOL

Affiliated with: Maha Bodhi School, Mee Toh School

14. MARIS STELLA HIGH SCHOOL

Affiliated with: Maris Stella High School

15. METHODIST GIRLS’ SCHOOL (SECONDARY)

Affiliated with: Methodist Girls’ School (Primary)

16. MONTFORT SECONDARY SCHOOL

Affiliated with: Montfort Junior School

17. NANYANG GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL

Affiliated with: Nanyang Primary School

18. NGEE ANN SECONDARY SCHOOL

Affiliated with: Ngee Ann Primary School

19. PAYA LEBAR METHODIST GIRLS’ SCHOOL (SECONDARY)

Affiliated with: Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Primary)

20. SINGAPORE CHINESE GIRLS’ SCHOOL

Affiliated with: Singapore Chinese Girls’ Primary School

21. ST ANDREW’S SECONDARY SCHOOL

Affiliated with: St Andrew’s Junior School

22. ST ANTHONY’S CANOSSIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL

Affiliated with: Canossa Convent Primary School, St Anthony’s Canossian Primary School

23. ST GABRIEL’S SECONDARY SCHOOL

Affiliated with: St Gabriel’s Primary School

24. ST HILDA’S SECONDARY SCHOOL

Affiliated with: St Hilda’s Primary School

25. ST JOSEPH’S INSTITUTION

Affiliated with: De La Salle School, St Anthony’s Primary School, St Joseph’s Institution Junior, St Stephen’s School

26. ST PATRICK’S SCHOOL

Affiliated with: De La Salle School, St Anthony’s Primary School, St Joseph’s Institution Junior, St. Stephen’s School

27. ST MARGARET’S SECONDARY SCHOOL

Affiliated with: St Margaret’s Primary School

This article was first published on Mar 07, 2017.
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