FREE MRT RIDES ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
The Government should consider making MRT rides free on public holidays, due to its many advantages.
It is surprising that there are many Singaporeans who have travelled overseas but have not visited much of their own country.
Singaporeans may be surprised at how fast other parts of Singapore have developed when they see these areas for the first time.
And local retail sales may also increase.
This will encourage people to visit their friends and family, building up social bonds.
People who have been driving their whole lives may not know just how comprehensive and convenient the MRT network is now.
Free rides may give these drivers a taste of alternative transport, potentially supporting car-free initiatives too.
Sim Lim Onn
CONSIDER EXISTING ROAD TAXES
Mr Ee Teck Siew's idea of dynamic pricing for Singapore roads is creative (Adopt value-based pricing for Singapore roads, March 23), and I am sure there are merits in examining it.
Vehicle owners are already paying a relatively high petrol tax, which means they are already being taxed on usage. And there is the high certificate of entitlement price that has to be paid before a vehicle is bought.
If dynamic road pricing for private vehicles is implemented as proposed by Mr Ee, without considering factors such as petrol tax and COE prices, the cost of owning a car may be beyond the reach of many.
Lim Ang Yong
GETTING THE ELDERLY TO HOSPITALS
From April 1, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has stopped conveying non-emergency cases to the hospitals, and has proposed that patients hire private ambulances if needed.
But my family has encountered private ambulance operators who were unwilling to convey frail, elderly patients to the hospital, and advised us to call the SCDF instead.
With the SCDF no longer providing this service, people like us will be left in the lurch.
The delay in conveying frail and sick elderly patients to the hospital to seek medical attention may have dire consequences.
Wan Chee Khoon
