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Taking a bts and mrt ride in Bangkok feel so first world, unlike Sinkapore.

tonychat

Alfrescian (InfP)
Generous Asset
I just taken a ride in the mrt and bts of Bangkok to have my breakfast and I feel not just got but deep respect for them..

The bts and mrt work flawlessly and no breakdown and disruption.. In other words, it actually works and brings convenience to so many people using it.

It is fast and timely.. That earn my utmost respect.. I turn around before going my way to give it a respectful salute to show my respect and gratitude..

The Bangkok mrt and bts staffs deserves the highest honour and respect for making my ride a satisfying and fulfilling one.. My morning is great..
 

johnny333

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Whenever I'm visiting Bangkok I always use the MRT. To get from the airport to my hotel & to get around the city. Using it avoids the traffic jams & hassles with the taxi drivers because I don't speak thai.

I still remember when the MRT service 1st started, it was quite under utilised & you could always get a seat. However nowadays I only can get a seat if I'm taking the airport route. On the other routes I usually have to stand because the service has now become so popular.

Comparing the 2 services in the 2 countries I find that the trains in Bangkok are more frequent. In Spore the wait time is longer & it is is common to see an empty train that is heading for the depot. Something like the taxi drivers refusing to take passengers because of a shift change:smile:
 

tonychat

Alfrescian (InfP)
Generous Asset
I just got back to the mrt train cabin and I was disgusted, disturb and turn off by hearing something..

It is the disgusting kampong sounding sinkie accent.. I turn around and saw a sinkie couple talking.. Oh my god.. It is just like standing besides a smelly rubbish bin..

Quickly, I walk to another cabin till I can't hear any of that disgusting sinkie accent..

Once I walked to the new cabin down to the end of the train, I do a scan of sinkie pollution immediately.. Fortunately it is clean and officially a sinkie free zone. There are Thais, farang and a few Japanese.. So it is all good.. I got back my Composure and happy mood to enjoy the disruption free ride of Bangkok mrt..

I am so right to stay away from sinkies.
I would not have such enjoyable ride if I am in that useless sinkie, problem infested sinkieland mrt.
 

Onitsuka

Alfrescian
Loyal
Comparing the 2 services in the 2 countries I find that the trains in Bangkok are more frequent. In Spore the wait time is longer & it is is common to see an empty train that is heading for the depot. Something like the taxi drivers refusing to take passengers because of a shift change:smile:

Not just Bangkok. Hong Kong MTR is old but super efficient. Even Shanghai and Beijing have overrun us in this segment. Not forgetting Shenzhen too.

The problem with SMRT is they don't take feedback seriously. It's always whatever you think should be done, "we have considered it before etc. but ...". In other words, it's that "we know better than you do" attitude that sucks.

In fact, you just need to increase the frequency of trains and congestion is solved. But SMRT is a stick in the m&d. Maybe they feel that increase in frequency will not maximize profit returns.

The one thing about Bangkok's BTS, MRT and Airport Link that sets itself apart from the rest of the Chinese-based mass transit system is the quietness in the cabin. Bangkokians don't talk loudly in the cabin. The only fuckers who are still ranting and giving commuters a public podcast of their private business in the cabins are the farangs, and with recent influx of Chinks, the chinks.
 

Claire

Alfrescian
Loyal
Unless Singapore can reach Japanese standards in train management, you can expect more breakdowns with zero accountability from highly paid CEOs, LTA chiefs, etc.
 

Onitsuka

Alfrescian
Loyal
Once I walked to the new cabin down to the end of the train, I do a scan of sinkie pollution immediately.. Fortunately it is clean and officially a sinkie free zone.

Where can I download this app ? Is it Android based or IOS ?
 

johnny333

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Not just Bangkok. Hong Kong MTR is old but super efficient. Even Shanghai and Beijing have overrun us in this segment. Not forgetting Shenzhen too.

The problem with SMRT is they don't take feedback seriously. It's always whatever you think should be done, "we have considered it before etc. but ...". In other words, it's that "we know better than you do" attitude that sucks.

In fact, you just need to increase the frequency of trains and congestion is solved. But SMRT is a stick in the m&d. Maybe they feel that increase in frequency will not maximize profit returns.

The one thing about Bangkok's BTS, MRT and Airport Link that sets itself apart from the rest of the Chinese-based mass transit system is the quietness in the cabin. Bangkokians don't talk loudly in the cabin. The only fuckers who are still ranting and giving commuters a public podcast of their private business in the cabins are the farangs, and with recent influx of Chinks, the chinks.


I would rate HK's MTR as the best. Anyone who has been to HK can tell you that not having a car is not a problem because of the very good MTR services & abundance of taxis.

The problems in the Spore is more serious. It is not limited to just ignoring suggestions/complaints. We have bureaucrats designing & operating the system. We have too many civil servants in Spore. They are good paper pushers but not dynamic problem solvers. They will wait for instruction from above, but with LHL & his gang, that is like the blind leading the blind.

What is worse is that in Spore we have a class system where the bureaucrats have isolated themselves i.e. they are living in ivory towers. So they are clueless about many of the problems that exist on the ground.
 

johnny333

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
I spent about a month in Kuala Lumpur & I took the monorail, MRT train, bus & taxis on a daily basis.

I would rate the service in KL above Spore:o
In that one month time period the KL train services only broke down once. I think it was a power problem. I rate it higher than Spore because in KL there are alternatives like buses & taxis. Train fares are also cheaper in KL than it is in Spore. If you are paying more in Spore, one would expect a better level of service.

The Spore system is also very congested where we are packed like sardines. Getting around in KL might take longer but the trains & buses are not so packed.
 

ginfreely

Alfrescian
Loyal
I spent about a month in Kuala Lumpur & I took the monorail, MRT train, bus & taxis on a daily basis.

I would rate the service in KL above Spore:o
In that one month time period the KL train services only broke down once. I think it was a power problem. I rate it higher than Spore because in KL there are alternatives like buses & taxis. Train fares are also cheaper in KL than it is in Spore. If you are paying more in Spore, one would expect a better level of service.

The Spore system is also very congested where we are packed like sardines. Getting around in KL might take longer but the trains & buses are not so packed.

I took the free "Go KL" line bus to shuttle to/from KLCC during peak evening hours and not even that crowded. Lots of standing room. Free and not crowded. Very good.
 

syed putra

Alfrescian
Loyal
in bangkok, they gave the contract in one lumpsum, i.e. contractor must build tracks, ignalling, power and rolling stock and hand over the system once completed. I think Hitachi got bangkok mrt jobs.
I think SMRT, they break down the contract and in the end, different contractors build different parts which couldn't fit together in the end as contract went to lowest bidder.
 

Narong Wongwan

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
in bangkok, they gave the contract in one lumpsum, i.e. contractor must build tracks, ignalling, power and rolling stock and hand over the system once completed. I think Hitachi got bangkok mrt jobs.
I think SMRT, they break down the contract and in the end, different contractors build different parts which couldn't fit together in the end as contract went to lowest bidder.

Different contracts more tenders means more undertable
 

Narong Wongwan

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
The one thing about Bangkok's BTS, MRT and Airport Link that sets itself apart from the rest of the Chinese-based mass transit system is the quietness in the cabin. Bangkokians don't talk loudly in the cabin. The only fuckers who are still ranting and giving commuters a public podcast of their private business in the cabins are the farangs, and with recent influx of Chinks, the chinks.


Hear hear this is one overlooked aspect.....the quality of the commuters.
In Japan commuters out of courtesy dun even yak on the phones.
In Hk and Taiwan though crowded but everyone 'automatic' hustle when the walk.....you see the urgency in their strides. For those too slow they just go one side to let other pass. Unlike in Sg the more slow ones like to scamble in front.....
Until now most sinkies seldom keep left standing on escalators thus crowding out those in a hurry.
And sinkies dun queue and follow traffic flow instead walking leisurely all over the place.
 

tonychat

Alfrescian (InfP)
Generous Asset
The wonderful Bangkok mrt bring me to this place. The Bangkok mrt really male my day and live up my good. Unlike sinkie shit losers.

20151126_110223_HDR_zpscmnkbzpk.jpg


20151126_110331_HDR_zps7qk1fpzs.jpg
 

yellowarse

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Unless Singapore can reach Japanese standards in train management, you can expect more breakdowns with zero accountability from highly paid CEOs, LTA chiefs, etc.

The gold standard in transit management is the HK MTR, no longer Japan. Japan's transit system is efficient, but loses money. HK'sMTR is making money and providing great, reliable service at the same time – indeed, it's the world's most profitable subway. Transparent accounting, full accountability to shareholders, democratic governance. And they do it without the need to parachute ex-military officers and government scholars into management.



The Unique Genius of Hong Kong's Public Transportation System

The use of a clever financing system has enabled the territory to provide world-class service—without breaking the bank.
NEIL PADUKONESEP 10 2013, 1:12 PM ET

RTRJLAW.jpg

Passengers walk out of MTR railway carriage featuring Disney characters in the Sunny Bay station in Hong Kong. (Paul Yeung/Reuters)


New Yorkers are famous for complaining about the city's subway: despite an ever-increasing rise in fares, service never seems to get any better. And even still, ticket-sales still only funds part of the New York City subway system; the city still relies on supplementary taxes and government grants to keep trains running, as fares only cover about 45 percent of the day-to-day operating costs. Capital costs (system expansions, upgrades, and repairs) are an entirely different question, and require more state and federal grants as well as capital market bonds. And New York’s system is not unique: as in other cities, New York struggles to pay existing expenses and must go into debt to pay for upgrades, that is, without raising prices.

Is this problem intractable? Not exactly. Take Hong Kong for example: The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Corporation, which manages the subway and bus systems on Hong Kong Island and, since 2006, in the northern part of Kowloon, is considered the gold standard for transit management worldwide. In 2012, the MTR produced revenue of 36 billion Hong Kong Dollars (about U.S $5 billion)—turning a profit of $2 billion in the process. Most impressively, the farebox recovery ratio (the percentage of operational costs covered by fares) for the system was 185 percent, the world's highest. Worldwide, these numbers are practically unheard of—the next highest urban ratio, Singapore, is a mere 125 percent.

In addition to Hong Kong, the MTR Corporation runs individual subway lines in Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen in China, two lines in the London Underground, and the entire Melbourne and Stockholm systems. And in HongKong, the trains provide services unseen in many other systems around the world: stations have public computers, wheelchair and stroller accessibility (and the space within the train to store them), glass doors blocking the tracks, interoperable touch-and-go fare payment (which also works as a debit card in local retail), clear and sensible signage, and, on longer-distance subways, first-class cars for people who are willing to pay extra for a little leg space.

How can Hong Kong afford all of this? The answer is deceptively simple: “Value Capture.”

Like no other system in the world, the MTR understands the monetary value of urban density—in other words, what economists call "agglomeration.” Hong Kong is one of the world’s densest cities, and businesses depend on the metro to ferry customers from one side of the territory to another. As a result, the MTR strikes a bargain with shop owners: In exchange for transporting customers, the transit agency receives a cut of the mall’s profit, signs a co-ownership agreement, or accepts a percentage of property development fees. In many cases, the MTR owns the entire mall itself. The Hong Kong metro essentially functions as part of a vertically integrated business that, through a "rail plus property" model, controls both the means of transit and the places passengers visit upon departure. Two of the tallest skyscrapers in Hong Kong are MTR properties, as are many of the offices, malls, and residences next to every transit station (some of which even have direct underground connections to the train). Not to mention, all of the retail within subway stations, which themselves double as large shopping complexes, is leased from MTR.

The profits from these real estate ventures, as well as that 85 percent farebox surplus, subsidize transit development: proceeds pay for capital expansion as well as upgrades. The MTR’s financial largesse means that the transit system requires less maintenance and service interruptions, which in turn reduces operating costs, streamlines capital investments, and encourages more people to use transit to get around. And more customers means more money, even if fares are relatively cheap: most commutes fall between HK $4 and HK$20 (about 50 cents to $3), depending on distance. (In London, by comparison, a Tube journey can cost as much as $18). Fare increases in Hong Kong are limited by regulations linking fares to inflation and profits, and the territory’s government recently started giving a HK $600-per-month travel stipend to low-income households, defined as those earning less than HK $10,000 a month.

This model of transit management works partly because Hong Kong is a closed system: There are no suburbs from which people can commute by car, so there are strong incentives for everyone within the territory to use the system. This feature, combined with other regulations, has kept car ownership low: 6 of every 100 vehicles in Hong Kong are for personal use, whereas the number in the U.S. is closer to 70. And while the NYC subway was built over a century ago and was neglected during much of the 20[SUP]th[/SUP] century’s suburban sprawl, Hong Kong’s metro was only developed in the late 1970s. As a result, it doesn’t have to rely on signals technologies from the 1930s that are only slowly being upgraded (hence the track closures in New York).

As an independent corporation with the government serving as majority shareholder (rather than a public agency, ministry, or authority), the MTR has the freedom to develop real estate, to hire and fire who it will, and to take business-minded decisions—whereas other transit systems, including the one in New York, must deal with union contracts and legal restrictions. In Hong Kong, these value charges are often displaced onto consumers, causing real estate prices to go up a little faster than they otherwise might.

Still, value capture is a powerful idea for transit management. New York has tested the waters of this approach with its $2 billion 7-train extension to the Hudson Yards project, working with the state’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the project’s developers to fund the extension with property taxes from the newly served area. Dedicated taxes, too, serve a similar purpose. But fundamentally, Hong Kong’s metro succeeds because it understands that a subway system is more than just a means of transportation—it is also essential to the well-being of a city’s population and economy.



 

Onitsuka

Alfrescian
Loyal
Hear hear this is one overlooked aspect.....the quality of the commuters.
In Japan commuters out of courtesy dun even yak on the phones.
In Hk and Taiwan though crowded but everyone 'automatic' hustle when the walk.....you see the urgency in their strides. For those too slow they just go one side to let other pass. Unlike in Sg the more slow ones like to scamble in front.....
Until now most sinkies seldom keep left standing on escalators thus crowding out those in a hurry.
And sinkies dun queue and follow traffic flow instead walking leisurely all over the place.

Sinkies also like to do a "momentary pose" when stepping out of the escalator completely oblivious to the throngs of commuters coming from behind.
 

yellowarse

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
How Hong Kong's MTR sets the gold standard in transportation

BY PAULINE CHIOU
PaulineChiou%28HKB%29.jpg



I've lived in New York, Boston and Houston. For the past five years, Hong Kong has been my home.

All are great cities but when it comes to public transportation, Hong Kong wins the prize hands down. In fact, we've been spoiled here in Hong Kong with MTR trains that are fast, clean and frequent.

I normally don't have to wait more than three minutes for the next train. I recently spoke with the CEO of the MTR Corporation, Jay Walder. He used to lead New York City's subway system and was recruited to head up Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR) in 2012.

He says, “When I started in this industry, we called it mass transit. Everybody was thought of as one group. Five million people a day [Hong Kong's daily ridership].

What we are now working to say is, ‘How do we go from being one group of five million to saying this is five million individuals?’ ” To answer this question, the MTR has physically woven the rail network into daily life.

Many MTR stops spill out into underground shopping malls attached to office buildings and apartment complexes. So the movement between home, work and leisure often feels seamless.

The MTR has a unique business model. The government owns 77% of the MTR Corporation and gives it special land and development rights. The MTR owns 13 shopping malls and manages others.

The stores pay rent and in some cases, a portion of sales revenues to the MTR. On an even bigger scale, the MTR Corporation is a major property developer. It has developed the four enormous residential compounds along the Airport Express train route.

All of this has made the MTR extremely profitable and one of the few mass transit systems in the world that actually makes money. In 2012, its profits were more than US$ 1.2 billion.

“Capital investment --the ability to continue to invest -- is a critical aspect,” says Walder. “We have the advantage here that we are running on a financially sustainable basis.”

During a recent CNN interview, Walder and I walked out of Kowloon Station together and looked at the real estate surrounding us. The MTR had its hands in developing all of it: Elements Mall (MTR owns it), the apartment complexes (MTR built them, sold off the units but manages the residential buildings), the 118-story ICC skyscraper (MTR developed it but doesn't own it).

“The key is the integration that takes place. We literally think about the railway five, six or seven stories below ground. We're also thinking about what it means above ground,” Walder says.

Hong Kong’s MTR model is catching the eye of other countries. The MTR is currently operating rail lines in mainland China, Australia, the UK and Sweden.

Oh and I almost forgot to mention the best part: the average train fare is about US$1.


The views expressed in this column are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect this publication's view, and this article is not edited by Singapore Business Review. The author was not remunerated for this article.







 

eErotica69

Alfrescian (InfP)
Generous Asset
The wonderful Bangkok mrt bring me to this place. The Bangkok mrt really male my day and live up my good. Unlike sinkie shit losers.

20151126_110223_HDR_zpscmnkbzpk.jpg


20151126_110331_HDR_zps7qk1fpzs.jpg

Jiu hu kia, nobody gives a fuck what a loser like you eat or go.

Just fuck home to matland.
 
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