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34% more potholes detected on Singapore roads in first 2 months of 2023 SINGAPORE – Blame your bumpier road commutes on the weather. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it detected 1,123 potholes in the first two months of 2023 – 34 per cent, or 285, more than the same period in 2022 – due to the higher intensity of rain Singapore experienced during this time. But this year’s figure was far below that of 2021, when there were 3,318 potholes detected over the same period. The LTA was responding to a request for details from The Sunday Times following a question raised in Parliament by MP Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) on the prevalence of potholes on the roads. The LTA said that typically, during the dry season, it detects about 200 potholes a month. During the monsoon period, the number of potholes swells to between 800 and 1,000. Potholes may be discovered during the routine inspection of the 9,500 lane-kilometres under the LTA’s purview, as well as from reports submitted by the public. They form when water gets into cracks on the road surface. The LTA said the cracks, which result over time through wear and tear, are usually repaired as part of regular inspection, maintenance and road resurfacing work. When a pothole is detected, the repair would usually be done within 24 hours, the LTA said, assuming that the road surface is sufficiently dry for the work to be completed properly. During a wet spell, additional inspections are conducted, and more resources are deployed accordingly to expedite pothole repairs, it added. The LTA said that because of the more intense rainfall in recent years, it is also speeding up the localised resurfacing work on the slower lanes of roads, which tend to have a higher concentration of heavy vehicles and high traffic volume. “Should there be prolonged rainfall, we will first patch the affected road temporarily to ensure safety and wait for the weather to improve before carrying out the conventional, long-lasting rectification”, the authority added. The LTA urges the public to report road defects such as potholes through its website (www.lta.com.sg), the “Snap & Send” function on the MyTransport.SG mobile application or the Municipal Services Office’s OneService application. It is important for the repairs to be done quickly. The Automobile Association of Singapore (AAS) said that once a pothole forms, it can easily grow in size and depth as passing vehicles further wear down the surface, while rain and flooding can wash away the worn surface. To avoid hitting potholes, the AAS advises motorists to look beyond the vehicle that is directly ahead. It also advises drivers against swerving their vehicle to dodge potholes as they may lose control of their vehicle or put themselves in the path of other vehicles. If there is no way around a pothole, the best practice is to slow down and “coast over” the pothole, while maintaining a firm grip on the steering wheel to avoid losing control of the vehicle. In particular, the AAS said that motorists should not jam on the brakes when their vehicle is already going over the pothole as this will cause the vehicle to nosedive, potentially causing damage to the vehicle. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/34-more-potholes-detected-on-singapore-roads-in-first-2-months-of-2023 already a lot of ongoing road works by SP, Singtel, Starhub etc etc, and now potholes. car suspension system really taking a beating.

Road works are becoming more of a common occurrence on our roads. This calls for drivers to be more aware of their surroundings, since the road barriers usually cut into a lane, making lanes narrower. Watch this video to find out what happens when a driver lacks such awareness when driving. Watch the video of the dramatic accident here: A Citroen MPV was unaware of the road barriers which were set up on Alexandra Road. The driver then proceeded to ram the barriers at a rather high speed, causing a rather violent 'explosion' of barriers. Worst still, the driver nearly smashed into construction workers who were standing nearby, almost causing a fatality. The dislodged barriers also nearly caused a passing motorcyclist an accident. Luckily, he was quick enough to jam brake, saving him crashing into the barrier. Turns out to be that the the motorcyclist was a really top dude, rushing over to the driver of the Citroen MPV to check if he was alright after tending to his own bike. In a rare moment of positivity on social media, especially on road accident pages, netizens also praised the motorcyclist for checking on the Citroen driver despite his own mishap. Another netizen however, pointed out that the driver of the Citroen might have been distracted by his phone. Please be reminded that using a phone while driving may cause you imprisonment of up to 6 months, a fine of up to $1,000 or both, if found guilty. If anything, let this video be a reminder to all that road conditions do change, and that however familiar we are of certain roads, it is unwise to be complacent or distracted when driving at all times. ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

Malaysians are getting fed up with their garment. From not trusting their Polis to catch a criminal, now they are doing their own road works. From this article, i liked the last line. "“Most people never act and that only adds to the long list of complaints.” Says alot of complainers but no action from them. We have alot in this forum..... https://sg.news.yahoo.com/fed-kl-pockmarked-roads-bikers-matters-own-hands-232900841.html KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — They first started with a can of spray paint, marking around potholes on the roads of Kuala Lumpur to alert motorists of the hazard. The group of bikers also swept away sand and loose stones off busy highways to prevent motorcyclists from skidding. When their leader — actor Azlan Sani Zawawi, 40, or Lando as he prefers to be called — managed to save up some cash, they planted flowers in the pitted surfaces for a more obvious hazard sign. When his business grew, Lando and his biker friends took to road work themselves, patching up sinkholes and potholes left unattended by Kuala Lumpur City Hall. “We have been doing this since 2008,” Lando said at his latest patch-up operation in Wangsa Melawati called Jangan Gebang, Turap Lubang (Don’t Pose, Patch the Hole). “I’ve been blessed to get support from friends and members of the public, who joined in when they learned about what I have been doing. “Those who come out to help me are usually bikers like myself and so I named our group Ikatan Silaturrahim Brotherhood, comprising bikers from various biker associations. “The pothole (in Wangsa Melawati) has been there for over five months and is a hazard, especially for motorcyclists. “Despite numerous complaints, City Hall failed to fix the road, so our group decided to act ourselves.” After an hour’s work, they managed to level the road in Jalan 2/27a Lingkaran Tengah 2. The Kuala Lumpur-born businessman spent RM2,500 to hire a lorry and bought tools and materials for the repair work, including two tonnes of tar and gravel. He said katan Silaturrahim Brotherhood had carried out 30 road repairs around Wangsa Maju, Taman Seri Rampai, Taman Melawati and areas near the KL Convention Centre (KLCC) so far. Lando said he considered it a service to motorists, especially motorcyclists. “As a road user, I am concerned with the safety of motorists and motorcyclists driving or riding on roads filled with dangerous potholes,” he said. “The authorities are slow in their maintenance, often leaving the roads unlevelled and unpatched for months. “I find their lackadaisical attitude irresponsible, especially when road hazards are serious dangers that could result in fatalities.” Lando said he had lost two friends and an uncle after they crashed while avoiding road hazards. Over the years, he has spent close to RM20,000 to hire lorries and buy gravel and tar as well as tools for his initiatives. Despite rising costs, he said he had never accepted donations. “I prefer to use my own money. It took some time to save up but I managed to gather the funds by selling T-shirts and merchandises from my business,” he said. “Those who wish to help can donate their time and effort or hire a lorry with materials that we can use.” Asked the reason for his services, he said he considered it his personal civic duty. As a habit, Lando and his friends take note of the roads that require attention. He also posts pictures of potholes and other road hazards on his Facebook page, “Lando Zawawi DatokBandar KL”. “I post the pictures to warn people to be careful on those roads. Sometimes, people reach out and suggest places I can work on and they would volunteer to help,” he said. Lando said as a rule, he limited the number of people who joined him at each road work operation. “Safety is the No. 1 issue as it is risky patching up the road and relaying traffic at the same time,” he said. “That is why I carry out the work late at night when there are fewer vehicles.” Lando’s wife, Nurul Jannah Abdul Halim, 31, often joins him on his excursions that sometimes finish in the wee hours of the morning. “I am proud of his passion to help others in the way he feels truly beneficial,” she said. “I am concerned for his safety, that is why I like to tag along.” Road contractor Mohammad Fadzil Hashim, 22, volunteered after stumbling upon Lando’s Facebook page and hearing about his deeds from friends. He joined Lando for the first time last Thursday. “I do this for a living and when I heard about Lando, I was inspired to join him” he said. “Most people never act and that only adds to the long list of complaints.”

Recently, I spent a weekday afternoon running errands around Singapore. Before the journey, I was expecting a leisurely afternoon drive to and fro my various destinations around the Western & Central parts of our island. After all, it was off peak hours so how bad could it get? Well, Murphy's Law decided to interfere and that leisurely afternoon I envisioned never materialised. The first sign that things were not going to be quite so fuss-free was the rain. It started out as a constant drizzle and varied in magnitude throughout the afternoon; never ceasing for even the briefest moment. Then there were 2 accidents, one along the Expressway and the other near the first exit I had to utilize. Traffic was slow moving and it took a whole 15 minutes to clear the exit. Effectively, the 2 traffic accidents doubled my travel time to my first stop. After running the first errand, I headed out towards my second stop. This time, I carefully planned a different route to avoid the congestion caused by the accidents and optimistically thought that I could still end the day on time. But a total of 3 road works on the way to my second destination meant additional delays and slow moving traffic. Thanks to all the delays. By the time I left my second destination for the third, it was already 5pm and traffic was gradually building up. And finally, when I chose to depart my third destination for home; horrors of horrors, there were more road works! This time, the works were "strategically" placed near the car park exit causing a tail back and congestion all the way into the depths of the underground car park. And I continued crawling home in peak hour traffic. So, as luck would have it, an afternoon of leisure morphed into a tiring and stressful day out stuck on the roads. As our weather gets worse over the coming months, I guess it is a timely reminder to drive safely and avoid being a victim of all the road hazards around.