<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Residents driven round the bend
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>They say conversion of traffic lane to bus lane has led to more crashes </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Maria Almenoar
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Mr Kwok at the junction of Jalan Angklong with Upper Thomson Road, which has seen six accidents in four months. Residents say drivers turning into and out of Jalan Angklong get hit by vehicles that use the bus lane to avoid the morning jam.-- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->RESIDENTS of Jalan Angklong have banded together in an effort to get help after several car crashes outside their homes.
Jalan Angklong, which runs perpendicular to Upper Thomson Road, has seen six crashes in the past four months.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story -->RELATED LINKS
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Where the accidents occurred
Where the accidents occurred
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The residents say the conversion of one traffic lane to a bus lane in October last year is the crux of the matter.
They say that during the morning peak period, traffic sometimes comes to a standstill on the three-lane Upper Thomson Road heading towards Sin Ming Avenue.
And accidents have happened when drivers turning into or out of Jalan Angklong cross the yellow box and hit vehicles which use the bus lane as a way to avoid the jam.
The residents, saying that drivers are not always able to see these motorists dodging the queue, want a traffic light to be installed or the bus lane to be removed.
Mr Kwok Fook Thin, 62, has even taken it upon himself to note down the details of any crash that occurs outside his home.
Mr Kwok, who has lived in Jalan Angklong for the past five years, said: 'I live the nearest (to the junction), so when I hear the screeching of brakes or a bang, I run out and take down the vehicle numbers and note down what happened.'
He has written several letters to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) listing the vehicle numbers and the extent of the damage.
In response to inquiries by The Straits Times, the LTA said it conducted a 'site review' earlier this year after receiving feedback from residents.
Following this, the yellow box was enlarged in February to facilitate 'better traffic movement and enhance safety', and all other traffic signs and road markings were deemed sufficient, it said.
Based on its review, the LTA found that some drivers were not keeping a proper lookout when turning into Jalan Angklong.
As for the suggestions by the residents, it said that a traffic signal is not 'warranted at this point in time' and that removing the bus lane would not solve the problem.
Instead, the LTA is considering changing the 'give way' line at the turn into Jalan Angklong into a solid 'stop' line.
But resident Foo Say Ting, 70, who has lived in the area for the past 40 years, remains adamant that the bus lane is the real problem.
'Before the bus lane, there were never any problems. But after it was introduced, we all started noticing accidents happening on a regular basis,' said Mr Foo.
'Are we waiting for someone to get killed before something is done?'
His neighbour, Mr Chua Hok Soy, 66, agrees.
He was involved in an accident in February when he was driving home at 8am.
As he was turning in, an oncoming motorcycle travelling in the bus lane hit his front passenger door. No one was seriously injured in the crash.
'Every morning when I manage to cross the junction, I think to myself, 'Wah, so lucky, no accident today,' ' he said.
Residents say they sound their horns and flash their headlights to warn those using the bus lane. But even then, some have still encountered near-accidents.
Looking on the bright side, Mr Kwok said: 'All the neighbours have got to know one another better because of this junction.'
The LTA added that the bus lane has been effective in improving bus travel speeds along the road.
[email protected] <!-- end of for each --><!-- Current Ratings : start --><SCRIPT language=javascript> addRatingPortion() </SCRIPT>
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>They say conversion of traffic lane to bus lane has led to more crashes </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Maria Almenoar
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Mr Kwok at the junction of Jalan Angklong with Upper Thomson Road, which has seen six accidents in four months. Residents say drivers turning into and out of Jalan Angklong get hit by vehicles that use the bus lane to avoid the morning jam.-- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->RESIDENTS of Jalan Angklong have banded together in an effort to get help after several car crashes outside their homes.
Jalan Angklong, which runs perpendicular to Upper Thomson Road, has seen six crashes in the past four months.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story -->RELATED LINKS
<!-- Audio --><!-- Video --><!-- PDF -->
<!-- Photo Gallery -->
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The residents say the conversion of one traffic lane to a bus lane in October last year is the crux of the matter.
They say that during the morning peak period, traffic sometimes comes to a standstill on the three-lane Upper Thomson Road heading towards Sin Ming Avenue.
And accidents have happened when drivers turning into or out of Jalan Angklong cross the yellow box and hit vehicles which use the bus lane as a way to avoid the jam.
The residents, saying that drivers are not always able to see these motorists dodging the queue, want a traffic light to be installed or the bus lane to be removed.
Mr Kwok Fook Thin, 62, has even taken it upon himself to note down the details of any crash that occurs outside his home.
Mr Kwok, who has lived in Jalan Angklong for the past five years, said: 'I live the nearest (to the junction), so when I hear the screeching of brakes or a bang, I run out and take down the vehicle numbers and note down what happened.'
He has written several letters to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) listing the vehicle numbers and the extent of the damage.
In response to inquiries by The Straits Times, the LTA said it conducted a 'site review' earlier this year after receiving feedback from residents.
Following this, the yellow box was enlarged in February to facilitate 'better traffic movement and enhance safety', and all other traffic signs and road markings were deemed sufficient, it said.
Based on its review, the LTA found that some drivers were not keeping a proper lookout when turning into Jalan Angklong.
As for the suggestions by the residents, it said that a traffic signal is not 'warranted at this point in time' and that removing the bus lane would not solve the problem.
Instead, the LTA is considering changing the 'give way' line at the turn into Jalan Angklong into a solid 'stop' line.
But resident Foo Say Ting, 70, who has lived in the area for the past 40 years, remains adamant that the bus lane is the real problem.
'Before the bus lane, there were never any problems. But after it was introduced, we all started noticing accidents happening on a regular basis,' said Mr Foo.
'Are we waiting for someone to get killed before something is done?'
His neighbour, Mr Chua Hok Soy, 66, agrees.
He was involved in an accident in February when he was driving home at 8am.
As he was turning in, an oncoming motorcycle travelling in the bus lane hit his front passenger door. No one was seriously injured in the crash.
'Every morning when I manage to cross the junction, I think to myself, 'Wah, so lucky, no accident today,' ' he said.
Residents say they sound their horns and flash their headlights to warn those using the bus lane. But even then, some have still encountered near-accidents.
Looking on the bright side, Mr Kwok said: 'All the neighbours have got to know one another better because of this junction.'
The LTA added that the bus lane has been effective in improving bus travel speeds along the road.
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