Tuas South Boulevard is the southernmost public road in Singapore Island, and now, its southernmost lamp post - named Tuas Lamp Post 1 on Google Maps - has become the ONLY lamp post in Singapore on which stickers are officially allowed to be pasted. Ha!
Located about 13km from the Tuas Checkpoint, this street light has in recent years become a popular spot for cyclists, who leave stickers as an indication that they have visited among the westernmost points of Singapore.
However, photos circulating on social media on Christmas last year showed workers removing dozens of stickers that had been plastered on the lamp post.
But in a Facebook post on Thursday (Jan 7), Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung announced that changes will be made. Calling it a “special lamp post”, Mr Ong noted that many people were sad to see the stickers go.
“Urban folklore has it that cyclists on round-island trips will make a pit stop there, where they will take photos with the lamp post, and leave their favourite stickers behind,” said Mr Ong.
“I have discussed with (the) Land Transport Authority, who in (turn) discussed with JTC. We decided to make an exception for this lamp post, given that it's a far out location and a special spot to help cyclists find their way,” he said.
“These are little exceptions to the rule, which do not cause disamenities or pose safety hazards to the public, to brighten up life in Singapore,” he added, noting he hoped to visit the lamp post himself one day.
Cycling advocate Francis Chu, 60, welcomed the minister’s announcement as an endorsement of one of the ways the cycling community here expressed itself.
“It is a nice gesture from the authorities that they are willing to listen and be flexible when the situation allows. The stickers collected on that remote lamp post can be seen as a piece of ‘community art’, co-created by the cyclists and evolving as time goes,” said the co-founder of enthusiast group LoveCyclingSG...
I guess one lamp post on which organic expressions are allowed - located in one of the most far-flung, remote corners of Singapore - is better than none!
I will probably have to rely on cyclists to upload photos of Tuas Lamp Post 1 on Google Maps. The landmark is 4km from the nearest bus stop along Tuas South Avenue 5, and more than 10km from the nearest MRT station, Tuas West Road.
