Monday, September 29, 2008

Roundabout Quiz 3


Did you read this article in yesterday's Sunday Times? There was a short paragraph about me and the roundabout quizzes which I put up last year. If you are new to this blog, you may want to give them a try.

1) Roundabout Quiz No. 1




OK. Now we come to Quiz No. 3. I managed to find 10 roundabouts that are no longer in existence in Singapore. Where were they located?

1) Bukit Panjang Circus
2) Princess Circus
3) Alexandra Circus
4) Delta Circus
5) Shenton Circus
6) Anson Circus
7) Gillman Circus
8) Sembawang Hills Circus
9) Orchard Circus
10) Pulo Saigon Circus

27 comments:

Icemoon said...

1) should be at Bukit Timah 10ms, where I went train spotting.

Icemoon said...

I just read the article. Quite surprised the one at Suntec and Marine Parade not registered roundabout.

Icemoon said...

And I believe there is a picture of Shenton Circus in laokokok's article here.

Lam Chun See said...

Well done Icemoon. So far we far got #1 and #5. 8 more to go.

I myself was quite surprised to learn about the Shenton Circus becos I was study at the nearby Spore Poly campus in Prince Edward Rd in the early 70's and do not remember this roundabout. I guess it must be been removed by then.

Anonymous said...

)Delta Circus; junction of River Valley Road, ganges Avenue and Lower Delat Road
7) Gillman Circus is now the road bridge over the AYE; after Alexandra Hospital but before Alexandra Road
8) Sembawang Hill Circus; Old Upper Thomson Road, Thomson Road and Yio Chu Kang Road
9) Orchard Circus; Orchard Road and Clemenceau Road junction (now modified because of Istana but after Buyong Road)

yg said...

pulo saigon was just before havelock road.

Anonymous said...

If I'm not wrong, I remember seeing on my 1981 street directory, there used to be one traffic circus at the current junction of Jurong Town Hall Road and the AYE fly-over (which was named Ayer Rajah Road previously) Can't remember the name, but it's just off German Centre.

Icemoon said...

oh yes yes, kk, if I remember correctly, that's the Teban Gardens Railway Tunnel!! I mean underneath that traffic circus.

alex said...

what happened to the circle outside the then Hotel Malaysia, later Marco Polo Hotel? Is that the Orchard circle we talked about?

Anonymous said...

the cirucs in front of marco polo was tanglin circus

Lam Chun See said...

Alex. The Tanglin Circus already covered in Quiz No. 2.

KK. According to my 1981 street directory, the junction of Jurong Town Hall Road and Ayer Rajah Road was a traffic lights junction. But further down at Corporation Road, Ayer Rajah Road and Jurong Port Road junction, there was a roundabout.

Anonymous said...

Have you all noticed how a lot of drivers these days don't know how to use their indicator lights to signal when driving around a circus? Er, in fact, those probably are the ones who don't use their indicator lights at all anywhere else.

such drivers usually just ngey ngey lai squeeze their way in or out. Of course, sometimes things are made worse by other drivers who don't give way at the circus. Sometimes, it can get ugly because few drivers want to miss an exit and have to go one round again.

Lam Chun See said...

Yes. I certainly notice that. What's more, when you indicate correctly, they may not know how to interpret your intentions. So must be extra careful.

Anonymous said...

In Singapore, what u r taught at driving school not implemented during actual road-driving OR put it this way, "NO need to follow".

Besides roundabout epxerience you mentioned, I also find that users on minor roads have priority when driving out to major roads. So those on major roads like highway must give way to traffic on the left (and not on the right).

I seriously think we should chnage our legislation to reflect current "market situation" otherwise it makes a mockery of our tough driving test standards.

yg said...

here are my answers to the roundabout quiz 3:

1 junction bt panjang/choa chu kang
2 alexandra rd/leng kee road/ commonwealth ave
3 tanglin road/alexandra rd
4 havelock rd/alexandra rd/lower delta road/nile rd/ganges ave
5 shenton way/joined to anson circus
6 robinson rd/maxwell rd/telok ayer rd
7 alexandra rd/ayer rajah rd/anzac rd/royal rd
8 yio chu kang/thomson rd/sembawang hills drive
9 cannot find orchard circus in 1969 street directory
10 havelock/magazine rd

Victor said...

Sad to say, a lot of drivers still don't know the correct procedure in negotiating a circus. Normally, a circus has 3 lanes, like the one at Newton. If your exit lane is at 3 o'clock, you must signal right and filter to the inner most lane. Then as you approach the exit, you should signal left and filter to the outer lanes and then exit safely.

The other day, one driver just zoom from inner-most lane to exit without signal and cut in front of my car in the middle lane. Nearly caused an accident.

Icemoon said...

Eh, sorry noob asking.

Why cannot take the middle lane? Just pretend you are heavy vehicle. Filtering is dangerous if your intended direction is different from the road direction leh.

I remember Basic Theory or Advance Theory talks about circus, but not in such detail. And how many learner drivers get to practise along a circus before taking the test?

Victor said...

Icemoon, you can keep to centre lane but you must be ready to give way to people who want to filter out from the inner-most lane and also be at the mercy of those who want to make a "last-minute" exit from the inner-most lane.

yg said...

fighting fit, it is not so much they don't know how to use the indicator light; it's more like they don't use it most of the time. they only use the indicators when it is to their benefit. sometimes, it is like an after-thought; they use it at the last minute,just before making the turn.

Anonymous said...

From what I was told my experienced drivers when they encounter such unsocial behavior, there's a solution although it sounds "gangland". I am told that those who could not care 2 hoots about other road users can be easily identified.

Whenever you encounter these drivers, just drive straight ahead and overtake the car. Cut in front of the car and jam your brakes immediately. For those who are alert and take the hint, they back-off and you can check your rear mirror they will very quickly trail-off. Those who are still dumb, continue to flash their lights at you, show third finger or horn loudly. Continue to step your brakes and slow down considerably. Very soon those who think they were 'talking tough" will back-off. This segment of drivers will try to exit the nearest road.

Dont only think private car owners behave like that. Even taxi drivers are guilty of it.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes the problem can be corrected when you drive a SUV/pick-up with plenty of roll-bars and steel fenders. One look scare the hell out of inconsiderate drivers.

Anonymous said...

Chun See,

I realized that my copy of the street directory is the 1976 Chinese Edition, not 1981!

Maybe that's why it's shown on my copy. It's called Jurong Town Circus. One interesting thing I found from my copy is that there are many traffic roundabouts during that time around the Jurong area, including the Corporation Circus, you mentioned, and a few others like International Circus, Pioneer Circus, Boon Lay Circus, Bird Park Circus, Jurong Pier Circus, etc.

Lam Chun See said...

In my 1963 street directory, Ayer Rajah Road connects Gillmah Circus to Clementi Road and ends there. No Jalan Ahmah Ibrahim.

In 1968, our school organised an excursion to visit some factories in Jurong. Altogether we visited 3 factories; one manufactured ink, another sweets and I cannot remember the third. I remember we travelled along Ayer Rajah Rd and Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim and passed several roundabouts.

It all goes to show how quickly Spore roads were being built during those 20 years after independence.

Incidentally during that school excursion, I saw a lot of rambutan trees full of rambutans in Jurong.

Lam Chun See said...

I think YG got almost 100 marks. I will post the full answers when I am free during the weekend; complete with maps and all.

Anonymous said...

I think the old seletar air base has a few roundabouts too.

Icemoon said...

fighting fit is right. In fact the newspaper article shows West Camp Circus, one of three in Selatar Camp area.

Anonymous said...

there's one called Picadilly. It's been donkey years since I been there, so can't remember much. I do recall there's one just after the old main guard room.