For the sake of a private condominium, Potong Pasir PAP Town Council removed a convenient 5 minute walking path between the Potong Pasir MRT station to the shophouses and forced residents to make a 15 minutes detour round the construction site.
The condo project is The Pavilion Potong Pasir, and will be situated right next to the MRT station at the field. When the condo is completed, other Potong Pasir residents are expected not allowed to take a shortcut through the private property like any other condos.
A Potong Pasir resident wrote to the Straits Times forum complaining about the inconvenience:
“In Potong Pasir, there is a pedestrian pathway leading to the MRT station through some coffee shops, which has been closed to facilitate the construction of a condominium. The pathway is expected to remain closed for almost five years.
With the closure of the pathway, residents have been forced to take a bus, or walk a very circuitous route, to the station. Instead of closing it, strong steel scaffolding with side shields could have been provided so that the pathway remains open. With bus service 142 not being a reliable option, the authorities need to reopen the pedestrian walkway to the train station to minimise the inconvenience to commuters.
Ramani M.V.”
Notably, the original walkway was launched by former Potong Pasir MP Chiam See Tong and has been recently torn down to make way for the condo. In the recent election, 66.4% of the Potong Pasir residents voted for the PAP.
