SINGAPORE – A back-lane shortcut in Robey Crescent has been sealed off with a metal gate, forcing residents who have used it for more than a decade to use a longer route along a canal to reach the main road.<\/p>\n
The narrow concrete strip measuring about 25m long runs behind a row of terraced houses between Robey Crescent and Jalan Arif, linking the private estate in Kovan to a bus stop in Hougang Avenue 2 and amenities located at the HDB blocks opposite.<\/p>\n
The path is a popular route used by grandparents walking their grandchildren to school, residents heading to work and domestic helpers going to the nearby supermarket.<\/p>\n
Residents first noticed the gate with a notice that said \u201cprivate property\u201d on Oct 28. Wire mesh was also put up at the other end of the lane.<\/p>\n
A land-title search showed that the strip belongs to Island Chartered, a real estate developer.<\/p>\n
One resident, who wanted to be known only as May, said: \u201cMy children were still able to access the lane when they went to school that morning. But when my son returned at around 5pm, he noticed the gate was up and he sent me a photo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another resident, who wanted to be known only as Au, 68, said he would take the path when he walked his nine-year-old grandson to Xinmin Primary School on weekdays. \u201cAt first we thought it was temporary, maybe to facilitate renovation at one of the houses. Then we realised it wasn\u2019t coming down, and we now have to go a long way round it,\u201d said Au.<\/p>\n
Another elderly resident in her 80s said the closure has made her routine walk difficult.<\/p>\n
Instead of a direct, flat path, residents now have to walk along a canal, climb a flight of steps and cover an additional 50m or so to reach the same bus stop.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe steps beside the canal are steep and sometimes slippery. My legs are weak and I stopped going for my walks,\u201d the elderly resident said in Hokkien.<\/p>\n
May said her children would sometimes climb over the railings next to the gate to continue using the shortcut. She acknowledged that it was unsafe to do so.<\/p>\n
If they avoid the canal path, residents have to walk to the same bus stop via Poh Huat Road instead \u2013 a detour that is roughly six times longer than walking through the back lane.<\/p>\n
The owner of one of the houses along the path has found himself the target of neighbours\u2019 frustration because he is the son of the developer who owns the strip of land, and from whom many bought their homes.<\/p>\n
When approached by The Straits Times, the owner, Koh, denied that he had put up the gate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did not put up the gate. I also don\u2019t have the key for the padlock of the gate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
When asked if his brother who runs Island Chartered had done so, Koh replied that he had been told to stay out of the matter. He said: \u201cThey told me to stay out of this. I will leave it to my family to deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The developer could not be reached for comment.<\/p>\n
Some residents, unhappy with the abrupt closure of the lane, have removed the wire mesh at the Robey Crescent end of the lane. However, the gate nearer to the Jalan Arif end remains locked.<\/p>\n
They have also sought help from their MP, Kenneth Tiong of Aljunied GRC.<\/p>\n In a written reply to The Straits Times on Nov 20, Tiong said he was alerted to this issue within 24 hours of the iron gate being installed, and that dozens of residents have contacted him since.<\/p>\n \u201cBased on the layout of the estate, more than 100 households have historically used this path as their primary access to transport nodes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Tiong said he has contacted several government agencies to investigate the status of the strip and the implications of the gate, including the Land Transport Authority (LTA), PUB over the public drain running beneath the plot, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force, as the back lane could serve as a fire escape route for the row of houses.<\/p>\n He said he also asked LTA to look into making the alternative canal route safer, and that he has not received a formal reply from the authorities.<\/p>\n \u201cThe alternative route along the canal involves many steps, is uneven, and is poorly lit. It poses a genuine tripping hazard, which is exacerbated when it rains and the path becomes slippery. I understand the safety worries for elderly residents and young children,\u201d said Tiong.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cOne possibility is that the Government can look into formalising the status of the land as a public thoroughfare, given that it has\u00a0de facto\u00a0served as such for many years.\u201d<\/p>\n Responding to queries, an LTA spokesman said: \u201cWhile the public may have previously accessed this route, the mentioned path is on private land. We are working with the relevant stakeholders to explore other possibilities. In the meantime, alternative footpaths are available within the estate for pedestrians to access Hougang Avenue 2.\u201d<\/p>\n Tiong said he has also visited the registered office of Island Chartered and sent letters and e-mails to the company to explain the residents\u2019 point of view and propose a meeting. He added that he has not received a response.<\/p>\n The residents accept the strip is private property, but hope for an \u201camicable resolution\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n Lawyer Daniel Chen, a partner at law firm Lee & Lee, said the landowner has the right to deny access to the strip unless there is a registered or implied right of way preventing it from doing so.<\/p>\n The land title did not show any registered rights of way for the strip.<\/p>\n \u201cRights of way will be implied only if they are necessary for the reasonable enjoyment of another land lot. The availability of alternative access routes, even if they are inconvenient, will usually mean that the right of way is not necessary and will not be implied,\u201d explained Chen.<\/p>\n This means residents would likely have to depend on negotiations with the landowner to regain access, rather than on legal rights.<\/p>\n Chan, a retiree who has lived in Robey Crescent for more than 30 years, said: \u201cWhy put up the gate now, after 30 years? You let us use this path all this time and now you decided to seal it. It has caused a lot of inconvenience for so many people. I just hope they will remove the gate.\u201d<\/p>\n ALSO READ: <\/strong>MP Alvin Tan flags 70 funeral wreaths for blocking Pek Kio motorists’ sight, says family asked to remove excess<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n This <\/em>article<\/em><\/a> was first published in <\/em>The Straits Times<\/em><\/a>. Permission required for reproduction.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n