With construction still ongoing, residents of the new Build-to-Order (BTO) estate in Tengah have complained about the difficulty in getting around.
According to some residents in Plantation Grange, one of Tengah's first projects, getting around the estate is "very inconvenient", CNA reported.
This is due to blocked paths as a result of construction work and difficulty in hailing private-hire cars, residents said.
Furthermore, there is currently only one bus stop in the vicinity of the estate.
Road obstructions
One couple told CNA that they take taxis and private-hire cars as public transport is currently still in the works.
However, that is difficult as the pickup point at their block has not yet been reflected on apps.
They added that they have to walk 30 minutes from their block to Bukit Batok Road just to get a taxi, which is about 1.1km away from the estate.
Screenshot via Google Maps the walk to the Bukit Batok road
Bus stop is a 9 minute walk away from the estate
If residents of Plantation Grange and Plantation Acres — the only two completed BTO estates so far — wish to take a bus instead, they would need to walk about 650m to get to the bus stop.
According to Google Maps, it is about a 9 minute walk.
The bus stop along Plantation Crescent is the only bus stop located within the estate, and it only has one bus service, 992.
Screenshot via Google Maps
In addition, since the Tengah estate is still largely under construction, residents cannot cut through the blocks but need to walk on the pedestrian paths, reported CNA.
At times, some paths are obstructed by the works, and residents are forced to take longer detours.
According to the Housing and Development Board (HDB), homebuyers of the first two BTO projects, Plantation Acres and Plantation Grange, had progressively collected their keys since Aug. 29, 2023.
As of Sep. 26, about 295 out of 2,333 units in Plantation Grange and Plantation Acres have collected their keys.
HDB is aware of the feedback
In response to Mothership's queries, HDB shared that it is aware of the feedback regarding the obstruction of roads and footpaths.
It said that given that Tengah is a new town, the amenities and infrastructure will "take some time to build up".
In the meantime, transitional measures have been put in place to provide convenience to residents, it said.
On the issue of road obstructions, HDB has instructed contractors not to park along roads or block the entrances and exits of the housing developments.
It added that it is working with the Land Transport Authority to maintain "a safe and convenient walking path for residents to the nearest bus stops at all times".
In addition, practical measures will also be taken to minimise construction dis-amenities like dust— for instance, by increasing the frequency of road cleaning to reduce dust arising from ongoing construction works.
While waiting for the Plantation Plaza Neighbourhood Centre to commence operations in the second quarter of 2024, HDB is working to bring in vending machines that offer hot food at the void deck of Block 111A in Plantation Acres.
HDB is also working with a supermarket operator to deploy a mobile grocery truck service in Tengah.
"We are trying our best to bring these additional amenities in by about November 2023 or early December 2023, when we expect that the earliest batches of Tengah residents may have completed their renovations and started to move in.
We hope that these temporary provisions will help to bring some comfort and convenience to the earliest batches of Tengah residents, before the town’s other amenities progressively open."
Top photos via Google Maps