[h=1]KTM rail structures fall victim to graffiti[/h]
ChannelNewsasia.com - 6 hrs 12 mins ago
<cite style="display: block; font-style: normal; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 4px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; ">KTM rail structures fall victim to...</cite>
SINGAPORE: Nearly a fortnight after the Malayan Railway (KTM) tracks were closed to the public, graffiti has been spotted on the bridges, tracks and sleepers.
The vandals left their mark with correction fluid or used stones to scratch the surfaces.
During a briefing about the 26-kilometre rail corridor on Wednesday, Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin appealed to Singaporeans not to "inscribe their names" or deface the structures.
"In terms of policing, we do ask for civic consciousness. We don't want to regulate or manage it in a way that it becomes obtrusive ... We want to leave (the tracks) for everyone to share," said Brigadier-General (NS) Tan.
The graffiti can damage the structure's anti-rust coating, added Singapore Heritage Society rail corridor committee member Ho Weng Hin.
"You want to preserve these structures, it's part of Singapore's history," Mr Ho said.
The informal work group comprising academics, nature groups and government agencies met last week. Giving an update on the meeting, BG (NS) Tan said that work to remove the tracks has started along different stretches.
As such, some of these areas have been boarded up for "safety reasons" and BG Tan urged the public not to climb over the boarding. Moreover, the bridges can be "hazardous" for children.
Said BG Tan: "It behoves us to manage the safety ... We'll close off stretches of (the track) but once that's done we'll re-open it."
Even though the deadline to return the tracks to Malaysia by Dec 31 is "quite pressing", BG Tan said that the Singapore Land Authority and the National Parks Board are working closely with the Nature Society (Singapore), or NSS, to conduct the work as "sensitively as possible" with minimal disturbance to the environment.
In the meantime, the work group is looking into ways to gather feedback from the public, either directly through government websites such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) or through various stakeholders like cyclists, sports activists and green groups.
For instance, the NSS is working with the URA to hold an exhibition in September.
The exhibition, featuring photographs, maps and NSS plans for the green corridor, will hopefully engender a discussion on the possible uses for the corridor, said NSS vice-president Leong Kwok Peng.
There will also be a competition for architects and design planners to come up with a master plan for the green corridor. Details will be announced later, said the URA.
The consultation process will take two years as it involves a number of interest groups and the public, said BG Tan.
ChannelNewsasia.com - 6 hrs 12 mins ago
SINGAPORE: Nearly a fortnight after the Malayan Railway (KTM) tracks were closed to the public, graffiti has been spotted on the bridges, tracks and sleepers.
The vandals left their mark with correction fluid or used stones to scratch the surfaces.
During a briefing about the 26-kilometre rail corridor on Wednesday, Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin appealed to Singaporeans not to "inscribe their names" or deface the structures.
"In terms of policing, we do ask for civic consciousness. We don't want to regulate or manage it in a way that it becomes obtrusive ... We want to leave (the tracks) for everyone to share," said Brigadier-General (NS) Tan.
The graffiti can damage the structure's anti-rust coating, added Singapore Heritage Society rail corridor committee member Ho Weng Hin.
"You want to preserve these structures, it's part of Singapore's history," Mr Ho said.
The informal work group comprising academics, nature groups and government agencies met last week. Giving an update on the meeting, BG (NS) Tan said that work to remove the tracks has started along different stretches.
As such, some of these areas have been boarded up for "safety reasons" and BG Tan urged the public not to climb over the boarding. Moreover, the bridges can be "hazardous" for children.
Said BG Tan: "It behoves us to manage the safety ... We'll close off stretches of (the track) but once that's done we'll re-open it."
Even though the deadline to return the tracks to Malaysia by Dec 31 is "quite pressing", BG Tan said that the Singapore Land Authority and the National Parks Board are working closely with the Nature Society (Singapore), or NSS, to conduct the work as "sensitively as possible" with minimal disturbance to the environment.
In the meantime, the work group is looking into ways to gather feedback from the public, either directly through government websites such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) or through various stakeholders like cyclists, sports activists and green groups.
For instance, the NSS is working with the URA to hold an exhibition in September.
The exhibition, featuring photographs, maps and NSS plans for the green corridor, will hopefully engender a discussion on the possible uses for the corridor, said NSS vice-president Leong Kwok Peng.
There will also be a competition for architects and design planners to come up with a master plan for the green corridor. Details will be announced later, said the URA.
The consultation process will take two years as it involves a number of interest groups and the public, said BG Tan.
