PUBLISHED ONFebruary 27, 2016 8:00 PM
The horizontal railings put up at void decks, at great cost, are an eyesore ("Void deck railings to stop ball games"; Thursday).
Moreover, they may not achieve the desired objective of solving the noise problem. They are, at best, an interim measure.
At worst, the move is short-sighted, as children, being boisterous, may think of other ways of making use of these railings.
Off the top of my head, I can think of skateboarders using them to practise their stunts, which would be worse.
There is another problem.
As these railings are about 30cm in height, they may pose a danger to elderly residents with low visual ability who are returning home at night.
They may stumble over these inconspicuous railings and injure themselves.
A better solution would be to put tables and chairs in void decks so that residents, especially senior citizens, can sit around in the open, instead of staying in their homes, facing their four walls.
This will also help to promote neighbourliness and the kampung spirit in the long run, as residents can congregate at these tables.
Another solution would be to put exercise equipment in void decks instead of at parks.
An example of this can be seen at Block 140, Lorong Ah Soo.
This will optimise the use of the equipment, as it can be used, rain or shine, if it is located at the void deck.
Soh Ah Yuen
This article was first published on February 27, 2016.
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