Newly weds find It hard to get a flat

I refer to the Straits Time article dated 29th November titled " More Than 7000 new flats expected over next 7 months". I must add that there was nothing new about the latest announcement from HDB and the government. They are merely repeating what they had promised to do earlier in the year. Almost all the units they would be offering to ease the market situation are under the BTO and DBSS schemes. Under these schemes, it would take a minimum 4 to 5 years before the flats are completed and the keys made available to the buyers. This does not address in any way the immediate needs of homeseekers like myself. The government failed to mention anything about increasing the flat supply being offered under the walk in selections to meet the current demands of newly wed couples and families. They are merely announcing plans to ease the market demand in 4 to 5 years time. I feel extremely let down by the recent news and i don't think the announcements would have any impact in the surge of prices in the resale market at least for the next couple of years..

For example in the 3 room or smaller flats walk in selection opened yesterday,only 150 units had been released eventhough the number of applications could easily hit over 1000. Under these cicumstances, I am still going to get a queue number at the end of the line and by the time my turn comes, almost all the units are taken up or the racial quota is full. I have been faced with this situation repeatedly in the walk in selection. Is the government sending a message to home seekers that they are unable to do anything now to solve the immediate squeeze, urging them to wait for 4 to 5 years untilthese new BTO'S are built. Where does the government expect young couples and families to stay for 5 years ?

The only way to convince home owners trying to sell their flats on the resale market to become realistic with their demands is if the government immediately releases a great number of completed flats in their stockpile either for sale or rent. There are so many completed flats that are unsold and yet HDB is unwilling to release them immediately. There are newly completed block of flats near kallang mrt,commonwealth mrt,punggol which have been totally unoccupied for months now. A good measure that the government could do is to rent out the 4 room and 5 room flats in their stockpile with subsidised rates until their BTO's are completed.

SMRT found lacking when it comes to public bus improvements

I have read with much interest a column posted on the straits times forum and i totally agree with the writer on the standard of SMRT buses. I think it's the same sentiments shared by the vast majority of the population living in the northern which are dominated by SMRT buses. They seem to be far behind the standards set by SBS Transit. Besides the irregular frequency between services, there's also nothing new or sophisticated about the majority of SMRT's fleet of buses which have remained in service for longer than 10 years. Some buses like the one regularly used on Route 178 are extremely old buses that have been used since the 80's.

Some of these buses are so filthy and it can be a really unpleasant journey. You would not be suprised to find on most SMRT buses that the seat covers are stained and smelly. Some of the seats at the backl even come off ! The aircon won't be working on hot days, even if they do work the vents would be leaking and you could see the panels corroded, you might even see cockroaches and other insects crawling onto your seats from time to time. The kind of service displayed by SMRT buses are even worse than some third world countries. It's rather embaressing that the authorities are turning a blind eye to the apparent shocking low standards on SMRT buses.

Bring Back A&W to Singapore !

A&W was first brewed in June 1919, in Lodi, California by Roy Allen. Allen sold the nickel root beer at a roadside stand at a parade for returning World War I veterans. Along with partner Frank Wright, Allen began A&W Restaurants, giving the root beer its name as well as eventually selling other food. At some A&W Restaurants the root beer is still prepared fresh, thus accounting for the fact that the taste varies at each restaurant.

The first A&W store opened at Dunearn Road in Singapore in the year 1966 as the first fast food restaurant from America in the country. The chain expanded in the later years including one at Singapore Zoo which closed down in 1999. The chain's Singapore operations dwindled in the 2000s, and by 2002 it had 7 outlets around the island. A&W finally closed in 2003.