At 7am, from Yishun to KK we usually go through Ang Mo Kio, instead of CTE, due to the fact that there are many cars and there are few ERP charges, which would amount to $4.50. At 10am, the taxi would prefer the CTE as there is no ERP charge and it is supposed to be an 'expressway'.
The few times we traveled the CTE after 10am, there were accidents that caused the cars to crawl in low speed. The normal 45-minute side would take more than one hour.
Today, for a change, despite the fact that it was half past ten in the morning, I asked the driver not to go through CTE. He was not sure whether my request was logical, but he hesitantly followed my suggestion with a disclaimer that he would not guarantee if there would not be any traffic-jam at Ang Mo Kio. I told him not to worry as I wanted to try the route at that hour.
The journey was surprisingly smooth. Although there were many traffic lights, we reached KK in 20 minutes. This is the best record we have for the past five months. The driver was equally surprised.
I think, at the end of the day, it does not matter whether or not it is an expressway. What matters is the traffic pattern and most importantly, your luck at that moment. So, follow your intuition and you will not be
