SMRT and SBS, hear me out!
BUS and MRT fares are going to be set for yet another increase from 1 July 2005. See link here. Sure, the increases this time are minimal. But, like any typical Singaporean who relies on public transport, I only have this to say: SBS and SMRT, please bloody hell kindly ensure that there is a corresponding improvement in service levels!!!
I have read so many letters in the Straits Times' Forum page, requesting the same things. Why aren't there any replies from the relevant authorities? Or even any significant improvements made?
Yes, yes. Singapore's transport fares are among the lowest in the world. And I am not that well-travelled to compare our system with that of many countries, much less even show appreciation for it. Singapore ranks among the top in several areas: Our port, "Best Seaport in Asia", airport, winning the highest honour in the aviation industry for 4 years running, business competitiveness, globalisation, low corruption level etc etc. And the transport system? No, it's not that bad that it is of a Third-World level, but there is definitely much room for improvement.
I am more of a bus taker so most of the complaints are with the bus system. In fact, save for the occasional delays, I think the MRT system is doing a wonderful job! I have no complaints!
The Frequency of Buses
I am not expecting buses to arrive at intervals of one minute. But buses travel at ridicuously uneven intervals within the same peak (or off peak) period!
I once had a terribly bad experience waiting for Service 151 at the Kent Ridge Terminal after school. The time was around 7pm, peak period. I walked to the terminal and did not feel very good when I realised that there wasn't a single stationary 151 bus parked at the lots! Which means to say, I had to wait for at least one 151 to come back, drop off passengers, rest a while before that same bus would pick up passengers again. Fine. It was a Friday, I remembered very vividly. I have no school tomorrow, I can afford to wait.
10 minutes. 15 minutes, 20 minutes. The time flew by without a single 151 coming back. And I had to bear the annoying sight of seeing all the other bus services breezing by me, some of them in repetition!
After 25 minutes, an air conditioned 151 comes back. As expected, it parks itself in its lot. And I have to wait for it to cool down. It was another 10 minutes later before I boarded a non-aircon bus whose driver picked us poor souls up without "resting". Bless him!
The (in)frequency of buses really hits me hard. This explains why I am always late for school. Although I admit that I have a tendency to dilly dally as well. :p
The Physical Condition of Buses
I have had countless experiences with the poor physical condition of the buses. That was just one of the unhappy and annoying incidents I have had with this particular service in my 3 years at NUS. I haven't mentioned about the time the bus broke down on the day I was rushing to school for my last paper and a few of us NUS students were already planning to share a cab before another comes along and I reach school right on the dot. Or the time when smoke started to come out from somewhere on the bus and we all had to be evacuated.
SMRT buses are not spared as well. Why bother to have super duper long buses that are a pain on roads when you can't even maintain the basics? I took Service 853 when I was in AJC from 2000 to 2001 and I tell you, the non-airconditioned buses look like they are way past their scrape off date! Everytime I board the bus, I feel as if I am transported (pun intended) back to Malaysia. I worried whether I could make it back home in one piece. Aren't there supposed to be periodic inspections of the buses? Why do these buses pass the tests everytime? What is the criteria for assessing their condition?
Pass assessment = no need to buy new old = save costs?? Probably.
Sensed Bias Towards Concession-Holding Students
This is with respect to my taking 151 to NUS again, although I no longer need to do so. Anyway, what is the rationale for deciding if a bus should be made non-aircon, partial aircon or full aircon?
I just can't help but feel SBS has a bias towards us pathetic students. You see, 151 is partial aircon, and when they mean partial:
Definition from www.dictionary.com:
Of, relating to, being, or affecting only a part; not total; incomplete
they really, really mean it. Because out of their entire fleet of 151 buses, it seems that only 20% are aircon buses. Out of the at least 8 trips of 151 I make in a week (2 per day * 4 days of school), at least 6 would be on non-aircon buses. What the f***! And when this happens, it really makes my concession fare "bo hua"!
1 non aircon trip = $1.18
1 aircon trip = $1.43.
In one week,
6 trips of non aircon = $1.18 * 6 = $7.08
2 trips of aircon = $1.43 * 2 = $2.86
In one month,
total spent on transport = ($7.08 + $2.86) * 4 = $39.76 = a freaking $12.24 less than $52!!
Okay, this calculation is probably too exaggerated. I am not a hermit, I do go out on weekends. But couldn't SBS just increase the number of aircon 151 buses, especially during the semester?
I think there really this bias. Because the service plys along many schools. First, along MacPherson Road, I do see some Cedar Girls students using the service. Then along the PIE, Whitley Road, it's CJC students, followed by SJI and SCGS students.
SMU is next, using NUS's campus although this is no longer applicable since they are moving to their city campus this August! Pui! Jealous jealous!
Then, it's the famous Bukit Timah stretch, lined with schools which every parent would aspire to send their kids to. Hwa Chong Institution, Nanyang Girls', NJC, Raffles Primary, MGS. Whoa! All the ming xiao!
Then, turning into the Clementi stretch, where I am finally going to reach school, Ngee Ann Poly and SIM end the memorable route of schools 151 plys. I used to be so interested looking at all the schools when I first started at NUS, although I just slept the whole way through after a while!
So, you see! All the schools along the way! The SBS people must be thinking, how to have full aircon service?!! Sure will lugi one! Therefore, all the poor students, including me, have (had) to go through each school day by bearing the super packed buses + infrequent timetables + the sweltering heat... Sigh!
The Planning of Routes
I know of some bus stops where the buses that pass by all stop at the same interchange and worst still, ply along very similar routes.
For example, along Hougang Ave 3 at the bus stop I always wait to take 151, there are a total of 6 services.
And a breakdown of their alighting and boarding points. I have purposely grouped them together so you can see how dumb SBS/SMRT are.
151: From Hougang Central Interchange to Kent Ridge Terminal
51: From Hougang Central Interchange to Jurong East
25: From Ang Mo Kio Interchange to Bedok Interchange
87: From Sengkang Interchange to Bedok Interchange
854: From Yishun Interchange to Bedok Interchange
55: From Bishan Interchange to Siglap?
See? There are 3 services all going to Bedok Interchange and I tell you, I have taken both 25 and 854 to Bedok before and I can't tell the difference between their routes!
Yes, it is always good to be able to have the luxury to wait for more than 1 different service to the same destination, but 3??
That's a joke!
EzLink
It's been nearly two years since it has been implemented, and the system's "teething" problems are still unresolved. Kudos to the company for allowing us commuters to exit and tap our cards at the front door and introducing an auto-updating of bus stops.
There still exists just one teeny-weeny problem.. Overcharging of fares.
I thought the auto-updating system was meant to solve this problem? I still see letters written to the Forum Page, with readers complaining about the overcharging of fares due to "tweaks" in the system, and not forgetting, the not-so-friendly procedures involved in getting the few cents back.
Frankly, I can't be bothered and am too poor in mental calculations to make sure that I am deducted the correct amount each time I take the bus or MRT. God know how much I have been overcharged (undercharged) ever since...
There! I have finally aired my grievances about the transport system! Now before you brag about how Singapore has such a state-of-the-art transport system, and to be appreciatiive of what I have, consider this:
The Ezlink system was implemented in July 2002 if I am not wrong. Hong Kong already had their own "Octopus" card waaayy before us. The card could even be used to access the buses, trams, trains and ferries. The card could also be used for supermarket purchases. And only now, our Ezlink card can be used at McDonald's!
Our family was at Foochow in 2001 and the commuters at the city already enjoyed such "card travel", complete with "TV Mobile" with super good reception!
Which brings me to my last grievance...
TV Mobile
I really appreciate the effort because it really saves me from the boredom of long journeys to school. But why is the reception so bad??? I hate the screechy sounds and can't bear looking at distorted-looking faces on the screen.
And why is there this habit of recycling TV programmes? I know it, because I have watched the same Channel 8 show on three separate occasions. It is repeated because out of sheer coincidence, everytime I catch it, it is always the first episode!!
There you have it, I have finally aired my grievances!
I have read so many letters in the Straits Times' Forum page, requesting the same things. Why aren't there any replies from the relevant authorities? Or even any significant improvements made?
Yes, yes. Singapore's transport fares are among the lowest in the world. And I am not that well-travelled to compare our system with that of many countries, much less even show appreciation for it. Singapore ranks among the top in several areas: Our port, "Best Seaport in Asia", airport, winning the highest honour in the aviation industry for 4 years running, business competitiveness, globalisation, low corruption level etc etc. And the transport system? No, it's not that bad that it is of a Third-World level, but there is definitely much room for improvement.
I am more of a bus taker so most of the complaints are with the bus system. In fact, save for the occasional delays, I think the MRT system is doing a wonderful job! I have no complaints!
The Frequency of Buses
I am not expecting buses to arrive at intervals of one minute. But buses travel at ridicuously uneven intervals within the same peak (or off peak) period!
I once had a terribly bad experience waiting for Service 151 at the Kent Ridge Terminal after school. The time was around 7pm, peak period. I walked to the terminal and did not feel very good when I realised that there wasn't a single stationary 151 bus parked at the lots! Which means to say, I had to wait for at least one 151 to come back, drop off passengers, rest a while before that same bus would pick up passengers again. Fine. It was a Friday, I remembered very vividly. I have no school tomorrow, I can afford to wait.
10 minutes. 15 minutes, 20 minutes. The time flew by without a single 151 coming back. And I had to bear the annoying sight of seeing all the other bus services breezing by me, some of them in repetition!
After 25 minutes, an air conditioned 151 comes back. As expected, it parks itself in its lot. And I have to wait for it to cool down. It was another 10 minutes later before I boarded a non-aircon bus whose driver picked us poor souls up without "resting". Bless him!
The (in)frequency of buses really hits me hard. This explains why I am always late for school. Although I admit that I have a tendency to dilly dally as well. :p
The Physical Condition of Buses
I have had countless experiences with the poor physical condition of the buses. That was just one of the unhappy and annoying incidents I have had with this particular service in my 3 years at NUS. I haven't mentioned about the time the bus broke down on the day I was rushing to school for my last paper and a few of us NUS students were already planning to share a cab before another comes along and I reach school right on the dot. Or the time when smoke started to come out from somewhere on the bus and we all had to be evacuated.
SMRT buses are not spared as well. Why bother to have super duper long buses that are a pain on roads when you can't even maintain the basics? I took Service 853 when I was in AJC from 2000 to 2001 and I tell you, the non-airconditioned buses look like they are way past their scrape off date! Everytime I board the bus, I feel as if I am transported (pun intended) back to Malaysia. I worried whether I could make it back home in one piece. Aren't there supposed to be periodic inspections of the buses? Why do these buses pass the tests everytime? What is the criteria for assessing their condition?
Pass assessment = no need to buy new old = save costs?? Probably.
Sensed Bias Towards Concession-Holding Students
This is with respect to my taking 151 to NUS again, although I no longer need to do so. Anyway, what is the rationale for deciding if a bus should be made non-aircon, partial aircon or full aircon?
I just can't help but feel SBS has a bias towards us pathetic students. You see, 151 is partial aircon, and when they mean partial:
Definition from www.dictionary.com:
Of, relating to, being, or affecting only a part; not total; incomplete
they really, really mean it. Because out of their entire fleet of 151 buses, it seems that only 20% are aircon buses. Out of the at least 8 trips of 151 I make in a week (2 per day * 4 days of school), at least 6 would be on non-aircon buses. What the f***! And when this happens, it really makes my concession fare "bo hua"!
1 non aircon trip = $1.18
1 aircon trip = $1.43.
In one week,
6 trips of non aircon = $1.18 * 6 = $7.08
2 trips of aircon = $1.43 * 2 = $2.86
In one month,
total spent on transport = ($7.08 + $2.86) * 4 = $39.76 = a freaking $12.24 less than $52!!
Okay, this calculation is probably too exaggerated. I am not a hermit, I do go out on weekends. But couldn't SBS just increase the number of aircon 151 buses, especially during the semester?
I think there really this bias. Because the service plys along many schools. First, along MacPherson Road, I do see some Cedar Girls students using the service. Then along the PIE, Whitley Road, it's CJC students, followed by SJI and SCGS students.
SMU is next, using NUS's campus although this is no longer applicable since they are moving to their city campus this August! Pui! Jealous jealous!
Then, it's the famous Bukit Timah stretch, lined with schools which every parent would aspire to send their kids to. Hwa Chong Institution, Nanyang Girls', NJC, Raffles Primary, MGS. Whoa! All the ming xiao!
Then, turning into the Clementi stretch, where I am finally going to reach school, Ngee Ann Poly and SIM end the memorable route of schools 151 plys. I used to be so interested looking at all the schools when I first started at NUS, although I just slept the whole way through after a while!
So, you see! All the schools along the way! The SBS people must be thinking, how to have full aircon service?!! Sure will lugi one! Therefore, all the poor students, including me, have (had) to go through each school day by bearing the super packed buses + infrequent timetables + the sweltering heat... Sigh!
The Planning of Routes
I know of some bus stops where the buses that pass by all stop at the same interchange and worst still, ply along very similar routes.
For example, along Hougang Ave 3 at the bus stop I always wait to take 151, there are a total of 6 services.
And a breakdown of their alighting and boarding points. I have purposely grouped them together so you can see how dumb SBS/SMRT are.
151: From Hougang Central Interchange to Kent Ridge Terminal
51: From Hougang Central Interchange to Jurong East
25: From Ang Mo Kio Interchange to Bedok Interchange
87: From Sengkang Interchange to Bedok Interchange
854: From Yishun Interchange to Bedok Interchange
55: From Bishan Interchange to Siglap?
See? There are 3 services all going to Bedok Interchange and I tell you, I have taken both 25 and 854 to Bedok before and I can't tell the difference between their routes!
Yes, it is always good to be able to have the luxury to wait for more than 1 different service to the same destination, but 3??
That's a joke!
EzLink
It's been nearly two years since it has been implemented, and the system's "teething" problems are still unresolved. Kudos to the company for allowing us commuters to exit and tap our cards at the front door and introducing an auto-updating of bus stops.
There still exists just one teeny-weeny problem.. Overcharging of fares.
I thought the auto-updating system was meant to solve this problem? I still see letters written to the Forum Page, with readers complaining about the overcharging of fares due to "tweaks" in the system, and not forgetting, the not-so-friendly procedures involved in getting the few cents back.
Frankly, I can't be bothered and am too poor in mental calculations to make sure that I am deducted the correct amount each time I take the bus or MRT. God know how much I have been overcharged (undercharged) ever since...
There! I have finally aired my grievances about the transport system! Now before you brag about how Singapore has such a state-of-the-art transport system, and to be appreciatiive of what I have, consider this:
The Ezlink system was implemented in July 2002 if I am not wrong. Hong Kong already had their own "Octopus" card waaayy before us. The card could even be used to access the buses, trams, trains and ferries. The card could also be used for supermarket purchases. And only now, our Ezlink card can be used at McDonald's!
Our family was at Foochow in 2001 and the commuters at the city already enjoyed such "card travel", complete with "TV Mobile" with super good reception!
Which brings me to my last grievance...
TV Mobile
I really appreciate the effort because it really saves me from the boredom of long journeys to school. But why is the reception so bad??? I hate the screechy sounds and can't bear looking at distorted-looking faces on the screen.
And why is there this habit of recycling TV programmes? I know it, because I have watched the same Channel 8 show on three separate occasions. It is repeated because out of sheer coincidence, everytime I catch it, it is always the first episode!!
There you have it, I have finally aired my grievances!
1 comments:
Interesting post. Sometimes I have to wait for 25 minutes for the feeder bus...It's quite ridiculous.
Post a Comment
<< Home