As recently as a year ago, many would have chafed at the idea of agriculture taking a bigger role in Singapore. The onset of Covid-19 brought to bear the country's vulnerability to essential supplies being cut off.
Scientists are already warning that this coronavirus won't be the last (Another coronavirus will hit humans within a decade, warns expert, July 7).
Should the next coronavirus be more deadly, getting limited cross-border supplies to continue may hit a roadblock as countries and haulage workers are seized by fear.
In the light of this, our aim of attaining at least 30 per cent food self-sufficiency by 2030 is a step in the right direction.
To attain this and beyond, we really need to relook the proportion of land taken up by roads. It seems that our urban planners are road-happy; a huge majority of our buildings are surrounded by roads, and one can access these buildings from four different directions. This is a waste of precious land.
Having buildings that are clustered together and better connected internally will allow us to do away with the need for direct vehicular access to every single building.
Also, with the building of new roads, some arterial roads are unnecessary and the land can be freed up for high-tech food projects.
Why is there a need for so many connecting roads in the light of a falling vehicle population, the increase in people working from home and the lessened desire of the young to own cars?
A case in point is the stretch of Sungei Punggol from Sengkang West Bridge to the Tampines Expressway.
Over a distance of slightly more than a kilometre, no less than four road bridges run over it. I see from future plans that another road bridge project to cross this section from Seletar Link is in the works. Is this really necessary?
In the light of the havoc wrought by Covid-19, let us learn our lessons and position our country to better weather the next pandemic.
This calls for going back to the drawing board to relook all future plans - especially the amount of land taken up by roads.
Peh Chwee Hoe
