by non other than head honcho of stpb. THe same fellow who con millions of sinky males into doing NS.
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Clogged up Orchard Road causes frustration
By Benson Ang
THE noise from the construction work was almost unbearable, the pathways to shops were blocked and the traffic jams daunting.
Welcome to the Orchard Road of today.
It's not quite what that has been hyped on travel books or brochures to tourists.
Instead of a shopping paradise, what greets them are 'Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!' or 'Grr... grr... grr... grr...'.
When The New Paper was there last Tuesday at noon, many tourists and shopping regulars were annoyed by the construction going on.
Australian Dan Stevens, 30, who was on holiday with his wife, said they found it difficult to find their way around, because 'so many areas are blocked'.
His wife, Mrs Jackie Stevens, 30, said: 'We thought Orchard Road would be prettier and nicer, because we saw it in the travel books. I didn't know there was going to be so much noise and construction.'
'We heard this place was good for shopping, but there doesn't seem to be as many shops as we thought.'
A South Korean couple on honeymoon found Orchard Road a disappointment.
Salesman Park Se Joon, 32, said that the lack of human traffic made him think that Orchard Road was not a busy road. Said ballet dancer, Mrs Song Yensil, 29: 'I thought there was going to be more than two times the number of people here. I don't think this road is crowded at all.'
Almost every other shopping centre along Orchard Road, between Paterson Road and Killiney Road, was involved in some sort of construction.
A few walkways were blocked off, such as a portion of Orchard Road near the junction of Killiney Road.
Hoardings could also be see along a significant part of the road, such as outside Meritus Mandarin hotel and Wisma Atria shopping centre, where there were roadworks.
The hoardings prevented shoppers at Wisma Atria from looking across to Tangs and vice-versa, and some businesses say these hoardings are causing them to lose business.
Mdm Ng Peng Eng, 71, a newspaper vendor outside Wisma Atria, said: 'There used to be a queue of people at my stall. But now, people at Tangs cannot see my stall, and there doesn't seem to be many people coming.'
Mr Yeo Tiong Lay, 50, who has been selling ice-cream there for three years, said: 'These planks have been here for three months. The customers across the road can't see me.'
Upgrading in progress
Orchard Road is undergoing a $40 million makeover, courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). The transformation, set to be completed by February, includes landscaping and cutting-edge street lighting.
Even so, locals were complaining about the disruption.
Mrs Shahana B, 32, an executive working in the Orchard area, said: 'There's a lot of dust. Two months earlier, Orchard Road used to look very prim and proper. Now, because of the multiple instances of construction, it looks like a work-in-progress.'
Salesman Norman Osman, 40, was waiting for a bus to return to work at the Metro department store in Tampines, after leaving Paragon Shopping Centre after a meeting.
He said: 'I usually cross through Takashimaya to get to the MRT station, but because of the construction, I'm taking a bus instead, even though it's a longer journey.'
It seems the construction has also affected al-fresco eateries.
When we passed by Outdoors cafe and bar at 12.45pm, around lunch time, we saw only five customers dining there.
A spokesman for Peranakan Place Complex, which manages the cafe, declined to comment on how the construction has affected its business.
This article was first published in The New Paper on Oct 21, 2008.
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Clogged up Orchard Road causes frustration
By Benson Ang
THE noise from the construction work was almost unbearable, the pathways to shops were blocked and the traffic jams daunting.
Welcome to the Orchard Road of today.
It's not quite what that has been hyped on travel books or brochures to tourists.
Instead of a shopping paradise, what greets them are 'Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!' or 'Grr... grr... grr... grr...'.
When The New Paper was there last Tuesday at noon, many tourists and shopping regulars were annoyed by the construction going on.
Australian Dan Stevens, 30, who was on holiday with his wife, said they found it difficult to find their way around, because 'so many areas are blocked'.
His wife, Mrs Jackie Stevens, 30, said: 'We thought Orchard Road would be prettier and nicer, because we saw it in the travel books. I didn't know there was going to be so much noise and construction.'
'We heard this place was good for shopping, but there doesn't seem to be as many shops as we thought.'
A South Korean couple on honeymoon found Orchard Road a disappointment.
Salesman Park Se Joon, 32, said that the lack of human traffic made him think that Orchard Road was not a busy road. Said ballet dancer, Mrs Song Yensil, 29: 'I thought there was going to be more than two times the number of people here. I don't think this road is crowded at all.'
Almost every other shopping centre along Orchard Road, between Paterson Road and Killiney Road, was involved in some sort of construction.
A few walkways were blocked off, such as a portion of Orchard Road near the junction of Killiney Road.
Hoardings could also be see along a significant part of the road, such as outside Meritus Mandarin hotel and Wisma Atria shopping centre, where there were roadworks.
The hoardings prevented shoppers at Wisma Atria from looking across to Tangs and vice-versa, and some businesses say these hoardings are causing them to lose business.
Mdm Ng Peng Eng, 71, a newspaper vendor outside Wisma Atria, said: 'There used to be a queue of people at my stall. But now, people at Tangs cannot see my stall, and there doesn't seem to be many people coming.'
Mr Yeo Tiong Lay, 50, who has been selling ice-cream there for three years, said: 'These planks have been here for three months. The customers across the road can't see me.'
Upgrading in progress
Orchard Road is undergoing a $40 million makeover, courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). The transformation, set to be completed by February, includes landscaping and cutting-edge street lighting.
Even so, locals were complaining about the disruption.
Mrs Shahana B, 32, an executive working in the Orchard area, said: 'There's a lot of dust. Two months earlier, Orchard Road used to look very prim and proper. Now, because of the multiple instances of construction, it looks like a work-in-progress.'
Salesman Norman Osman, 40, was waiting for a bus to return to work at the Metro department store in Tampines, after leaving Paragon Shopping Centre after a meeting.
He said: 'I usually cross through Takashimaya to get to the MRT station, but because of the construction, I'm taking a bus instead, even though it's a longer journey.'
It seems the construction has also affected al-fresco eateries.
When we passed by Outdoors cafe and bar at 12.45pm, around lunch time, we saw only five customers dining there.
A spokesman for Peranakan Place Complex, which manages the cafe, declined to comment on how the construction has affected its business.
This article was first published in The New Paper on Oct 21, 2008.
