Last year saw the opening of 16 stations on Downtown Line 3 (Smooth ride on first day of DTL3, save for 2 short delays; Oct 22, 2017).

Together with the six stations from Chinatown to Bugis on Downtown Line 1 and the 12 stations from Bukit Panjang to Rochor on Downtown Line 2, these 16 stations have greatly facilitated travel from the north-western and eastern areas of the island to the Central Business District.

However, the intended Hume station has only been given a provisional status, with an actual opening date to be decided at a future time.

A petition for the opening of Hume station has been put forward previously but LTA has only said that it has made the structural provisions for a future station and will open it when there is sufficient development in the area.

Sufficient ridership is not an issue as the station is surrounded by many condominiums such as The Hillside, Hume Park I, Hume Park II, Symphony Heights and Parc Palais, among others. There are also schools and other places of interest nearby, like the German European School Singapore and Saint Clare School as well as the Former Ford Factory and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

These ensure that there will be sufficient riders to Hume station, making the opening of the station an immediate priority.

With the Government's push towards a car-lite nation, the opening of the Hume station is something that should happen sooner rather than later.

Chen Seh Choong