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Would you consider Singapore a pedestrian-friendly city or a car-dependent city?
THis is going to be tough, because for a tourist, it is very easy to walk around everywhere, as most of the hotels are in the most densely populated areas along the metro routes.
But, for locals, who might be living anywhere in Singapore, it could be quite different.
Since most locals can't afford to own a vehicle, Singapore has to be fairly pedestrian-friendly. I had no issues with buses when I stayed with my uncle way out in the burbs. That said, it gets much tougher after 10p (or so) at night.
I'd probably say pedestrian friendly since it's quite densely built up and not spread out. Only Western countries are car dependant - large sprawling cities with minimal access to transport. Is Singapore as well integrated transport wise as say Hong Kong or Tokyo? Probably not!
Do they have decent bike paths in Singapore? I'd think a city of this size is very suitable for it not to mention the health benefits!
Well since owning a car in Singapore is one of the most expensive places on earth its definitely a pedestrian friendly city, the government makes it quite clear that they want you to rely on the public transport to get around this little red dot (MRT/Taxi/Uber/Bus/LRT).
If you do choose to drive that's fine but you will be punished for doing so, it really makes no sense and so most foreigners don't bother as its hard for us to grasp the ridiculous prices such as the price of a BMW here would get us a Ferrari in the West.
Take it from the born, bred, studied , working and living in Singapore Singaporean. Many locals dont have their own cars. I dont too
As for bike paths , well there arent many i would say
With prices like those in Singapore, how could one purchase a car? License plates are limited, probably not a bad thing...and this is before getting to the point
For a relatively densely populated city such as Singapore, they layout is suitable for a more transport friendly city.
I think cities around the world should take a look at Amsterdam with its bike paths that actually get you somewhere and cars should really be shared.
Western countries with their huge ass layouts - Melbourne for example spans a 90km radius (almost), with this it is rather inefficient for public transport to serve people effectively, hence to use of cars. I only limit my car use to weekends due to the convenience of transporting my children. Weekdays I try to cycle to work as much as I can.
Well, compared with HK, Singapore is relatively spread out a bit - so maybe distances aren't as walkable as, say, HK.
However, public transport is pretty decent (MRT, bus, taxi). As others have noted, private car ownership is pretty exorbitant, and it is government policy to make it that way, given the finite amount of land in Singapore and to manage traffic congestion.
It's not car dependent because most Singaporeans don't own vehicles and use public transportation instead. The public transportation system will serve all your basic needs to get to work, shop and do other errands. A lot of Singaporeans like people in the West have a very materialistic attitude about owning things they don't need and buy very expensive vehicles just for status.
I wouldn't call it pedestrian friendly either. There is heavy personal and commercial traffic just about everywhere most of the day. Singaporeans seem not to understand the concept of yielding the right of way to pedestrians even when they are crossing marked intersections.
Remember also Singapore has a tropical climate with high temps and humidity. Walking anywhere for a considerable distance can be quite uncomfortable especially for the elderly and the young. I'm older and walking can be quite a chore unless it's a short distance.
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