Bukit Panjang

SG neighbourhood
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englishname=Bukit Panjang
chinesename=武吉班让
poj=
pengim=
pinyin=Wǔjíbānràng
malayname=Bukit Panjang
tamilname=பக்கிட்பஞ்சாங்

Bukit Panjang is a suburban area situated in the Central North-Western part of Singapore. The Bukit Panjang Planning Area, located in the West Region, encompasses the Housing Development Board's housing estate of Bukit Panjang New Town and the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

Etymology

"Bukit" in the Malay Language means "hill" and "Panjang" means "long". "Bukit Panjang" literally means "long hill" which gets its name from the long range of low hills which ends in Bukit Timah to the south.

At the height of the movement to change place names in Singapore to Mandarin ones using hanyu pinyin romanization, the new town to be built in the area was initially known as "Zhenghua" (正华), along with Yishun (义顺) for Nee Soon, and Zhujiao market for "tek kha" (竹脚) market in Kandang Kerbau. The trading of old dialect names which have gained common currency for unfamiliar, Mandarin ones was not well-received by the public, and Bukit Panjang was quickly reinstated. However, the name Zhenghua is preserved in the name of the flyover between Bukit Panjang Road and the Bukit Timah Expressway as well as the Zhenghua Park.

Administration

The Bukit Panjang area comes under the administrative lead of the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council, which oversees the management and maintenance of the many apartments (HDB Flats) and commercial units in Bukit Panjang.

Political history

Bukit Panjang is politically divided into three constituencies. The central area of Bukit Panjang is in Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency whose Member of Parliament is Teo Ho Pin who is the mayor for Northwest Community Development Council. The other two constituencies are enclosed in the Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency. This includes Senja, a part of Jelapang, Segar, Gangsa and a portion of Petir. Senja, Segar and Jelapang are located in Zhenghua constituency of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC whose Member of Parliament is Liang Eng Hwa with Gangsa and the remaining portion of Petir belonging to Cashew division of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC with its Member of Parliament being the Community Development, Youth and Sports minister Dr.Vivian Balakrishnan.

Education

Primary Schools
* Beacon Primary School
* Bukit Panjang Primary School
* Greenridge Primary School
* West View Primary School
* Zhenghua Primary School

Secondary Schools
* Assumption English School
* Chestnut Drive Secondary School
* Fajar Secondary School
* Greenridge Secondary School
* West Spring Secondary School
* Zhenghua Secondary School

Transport

In addition of Bukit Panjang LRT Station, the Bukit Panjang Interchange, also near that station, is of moderate size and wholly used by SMRT Buses, part of SMRT Corporation.

* Feeder services
** 920 - serving Senja Road, Jelapang Road and Bangkit Road
** 922 - serving Bukit Panjang Ring Road, Jelapang Road and Segar Road
* Trunk services
** 75 - to Marina Centre Bus Terminal, via Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Holland Road, Great World City , Robinson Road.
** 176 - to Bukit Merah Bus Interchange, via Hillview, Bukit Batok MRT Station, West Coast Road, Telok Blangah Road
** 177 - to Bukit Batok Bus Interchange, serves the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Bukit Gombak
** 180 - to Boon Lay Bus Interchange, via Bukit Batok Road, Chinese Garden MRT Station, Lakeside MRT Station
** 184 - to Clementi MRT Station, via Upper Bukit Timah, Bukit Timah, Ngee Ann Polytechnic
** 700 - to Shenton Way Bus Terminal, via Orchard Road, Nicoll Highway
** 700A - to Suntec City, via Orchard Road To be known as Service 700M.
** 970 - to Shenton Way Bus Terminal, via Sixth Avenue, Great World City, Chinatown
** 975 - to Lim Chu Kang Bus Terminal, via Choa Chu Kang, Old Choa Chu Kang Road, Lim Chu Kang

In addition, the following bus services pass through parts of Bukit Panjang:
* SMRT Buses
** 67 (Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange-Tampines Bus Interchange)
** 171 (Yishun Bus Interchange-Marina Centre Bus Terminal)
** 178 (Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange-Boon Lay Bus Interchange) To be extended to Jurong West Street 91/92
** 187 (Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange-Boon Lay Bus Interchange)
** 190 (Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange-New Bridge Road Bus Terminal)
** 586 (Bukit Panjang Ring Road - Jurong East Bus Interchange)
** 960 (Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange-Marina Centre Bus Terminal)
** 961 (Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange-Geylang Lorong 1 Bus Terminal)
** 961C (Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange-Marina Centre/Geylang Lorong 1 Bus Terminal) To be known as Service 961M.
** 963/963E (Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange-HarbourFront Bus Interchange)
** 966 (Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange-Marine Parade)
** NR3 (Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange- North Canal Road)a Night Rider service, only running on late nights of Fridays, Saturdays and public holiday eves)
* SBS Transit
** 555 (Bukit Panjang Ring Road - Fullerton Road)
** 3N (Marina Centre Bus Terminal - Choa Chu Kang)

References

* Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2003), "Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names", Eastern Universities Press, ISBN 981-210-205-1

External links

* [http://www.nparks.gov.sg/nparks_cms/display_park.asp?parkid=25 Zhenghua Park (owned by the National Parks Board of Singapore)]
* [http://www.smrt.com.sg/trains/trains.asp SMRT Trains (Bukit Panjang LRT)]
* [http://www.hbptc.org.sg Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council]