Singapore Car Guide: The traffic nightmare before Christmas

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The traffic nightmare before Christmas
By: Goh Mei Yi
Published: December 16, 2006
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“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”… so goes that familiar Christmas tune. Without a doubt, Orchard Road looks prettiest during the annual light-up. But if you’re driving along this busy thoroughfare at this time of year, be prepared for the traffic jams.

The scenario

I got stuck in my first Orchard Road traffic jam at Christmas-time some years back and swore never to get into that situation again.

It seemed like a good idea to drive there to meet my friends for dinner and movie. I thought it would save me the hassle of trying to get a taxi at the “witching hour” before the midnight surcharge kicked in.

But as I approached Hyatt Hotel along Scotts Road, it dawned on me that I was going to be late when I saw the long line of cars before me, all waiting to turn into Orchard Road.

Then I realised that my problem had just begun – it was bumper-to-bumper traffic with no end in sight! Thank goodness I didn’t need the toilet urgently, because it took me more than half an hour to reach my destination at Raffles City.

Why it happens

Here’s why I think this happens only during this time of the year.

Christmas shopping:
The car boot is a good place to deposit purchases. Ditto Chinatown during the Lunar New Year season.

Gawking:
Inching your car along Orchard Road is one way to take in the lights, without worrying about getting wet if it rains.

Party season:
People don’t want to risk their glitzy gowns getting caught in the MRT escalator on their way to the year-end D&D.

How to avoid the jam

You can always circumvent the problem by not venturing into Orchard Road, but there’s no fun in that.

Here’re some suggestions that might be worth trying out:

Take the train:
You’ll probably have to stand all the way, but it could well be the fastest way home.

Park and walk:
Leave your car in one of the carparks in the Orchard Road fringes, like Emerald Hill, Tanglin or Claymore, and take a walk. The idea is to avoid going through Orchard Road itself.

Go late:
If you only want to see the lights, drive there only when everyone else has gone home. The lights are on until midnight from Sundays to Thursdays, 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, and 6am on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

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