Roam Talk Series: A Brief History of Transport Networks in Singapore's Urban Landscape
Fri, 12 May 2023 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Venue: Rise of Asia Museum - Entry Hall (262 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 11826)
Fee: $5 per pax
Registration: https://heritagefest2023-roamtalk.peatix.com/

Jalan with researcher Eisen Teo as he unpacks our city’s multifarious transport networks and the social memories attached to them! While carpooling to head into work is fairly common today, it wasn’t as easy to organise in the early 20th century. 
 
Mosquito buses gamely rose to the occasion, meeting the needs of the island’s working class. Drivers, most of whom were ex-rickshaw pullers, planned routes around passengers’ destinations and needs, packing their seven-seaters to capacity. It was a cheap, fast and popular mode of transport. Not everyone was a fan. The authorities found them pesky and worrisome due to reckless driving and spikes in road accidents. Eager to swat them aside, regulations were introduced. 
  
There’s lots more to unpack. Head down to the Rise of Asia Museum to hear from Eisen Teo, the author of Jalan Singapura: 700 Years of Movement in Singapore who will talk to you about the drivers of different commuting trends and discuss the backdrop against which they unfolded. You’ll probably see your daily bus or MRT journey in a new light! 
 
About Eisen Teo
Eisen Teo is a Senior Researcher at Singapore History Consultants Pte Ltd and Chief Curator of Hell's Museum at Haw Par Villa. He is also the author of Jalan Singapura: 700 Years of Movement in Singapore, a history book on the evolution of land transport through Singapore’s history.