Do you agree SAF come to the rescue of public co. in trouble for free?

[rusty]

Taxpayer's money is involved....shouldn't there be a fee?

LTA says it has approached SAF to explore deploying troops in large-scale breakdowns
Jermyn Chow
Defence Correspondent

Soldiers will be roped in as marshals to give directions to stricken commuters in the event of a massive train breakdown, The Straits Times has learnt.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA), which is beefing up its contingency plans, has approached the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to explore deploying the men in green to give directions and manage crowds. They will be tapped only during large-scale disruptions.

The LTA said that personnel from the police, Public Transport Security Command (Transcom) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force are already helping the LTA and the public transport operators in managing such incidents.

A spokesman for the LTA told The Straits Times that it "will also work with other agencies like the Defence Ministry to provide additional manpower resources if necessary".

When contacted, the Defence Ministry also confirmed the move, saying that the SAF will work with LTA in the event of a major disruption, "while maintaining our primary responsibility to safeguard our security environment".

LAST RESORT

Transcom already has a sizeable pool of officers, so activating military men will not be the first course of action. It is a last resort.

MR ALEX YAM, deputy chairman of the GPC for Defence and Foreign Affairs. Transcom is the Public Transport Security Command

The latest move comes on the back of a spate of major incidents involving Singapore's rail system.

The most recent was the July 7 massive breakdown of the North-South and East-West MRT lines, which affected some 250,000 commuters during the peak hour.

There were accounts of people, whose trains broke down around 7pm, not managing to get home until close to midnight. Some had to walk all the way. In the wake of the incident, a review was conducted, said Senior Minister of State

for Transport Josephine Teo in Parliament on Monday. She said it was found that the contingency plans of rail operator SMRT were "not adequate" to handle the scale of the breakdown.

As a result, trunk bus services calling at MRT stations hit by delays or breakdowns will be ramped up to provide alternative travel options for commuters, said Mrs Teo.

Transport expert Park Byung Joon said that tapping the military during massive disruptions makes sense as soldiers can be called up and deployed at short notice and "can channel commuters to the right places as quickly as possible".

The adjunct associate professor at SIM University said that using the military as "alternative backup manpower" during such incidents is not unheard of.

He pointed out that some special forces troops in the South Korean army learn how to operate trains to ensure train services continue in the event of a strike by train drivers.

Mr Alex Yam, deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs, said deploying SAF personnel at MRT stations is not entirely new as soldiers are already put in key installations like Jurong Island and Changi Airport to conduct patrols. They also have experience in crowd control during mega national events like the National Day Parade.

Mr Yam added: "Transcom already has a sizeable pool of officers, so activating military men will not be the first course of action. It is a last resort."
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 21, 2015, with the headline 'Soldiers may help manage crowds in rail disruptions'. Print Edition | Subscribe

 

[Microsoft]

fee? to who? saf? tats left to right pocket...fee yes...all moni go to nsmen involved.

 

[Leckmichamarsch]

Dat shud be in plan B or plan C without being reminded........ get paid so much & do nothing sensible at all

 

[rusty]

fee? to who? saf? tats left to right pocket...fee yes...all moni go to nsmen involved.

Free rides for Singaporeans only for 1 week if delay caused more than 7 hours. (1 day for each hr delayed)

 

[winnipegjets]

A for-profit transit company - SMRT - screws up, public resources are used to help them. It is not once but many times. Does this for-profit company pay up? Instead the government spends more to help the for-profit company. The CEO is also rewarded for accomplishing nothing, just because he was a former Chief of Defence Force.

Opposition ...more material for you to show why the PAP must go.

 

[Microsoft]

Free rides for Singaporeans only for 1 week if delay caused more than 7 hours. (1 day for each hr delayed)

worst...moi neber go out at all during tat free ride day...but seen lots of ft in and out of stn when moi goes for moi dinner...so...sinkie suffer during office peak hrs...ft get to ride for free during weekend...

 

[Microsoft]

A for-profit transit company - SMRT - screws up, public resources are used to help them. It is not once but many times. Does this for-profit company pay up? Instead the government spends more to help the for-profit company. The CEO is also rewarded for accomplishing nothing, just because he was a former Chief of Defence Force.

Opposition ...more material for you to show why the PAP must go.

de oni thing tat was privatized are de responsibility part...pappies no longer nid to ans to breakdown.

 

[Leongsam]

It is an essential service so there is nothing wrong with calling in the military should things go wrong.

 

[rusty]

It is an essential service so there is nothing wrong with calling in the military should things go wrong.

Spot on but should it come with a fee? Otherwise they may in future paint HDB blocks for free which is part of the essential upgrading.

 

[BuiKia]

Soldiers may help manage crowds in rail disruptions

Take free buses and trains from tax payers, then dun maintain so can make more profit.

Then take profit and give shareholders.

When breakdown, use public free resources to resolve.

How SMRT make money? If profit, money give to shareholders, need to come out money one all use free public resources.

No wonder use ex-general as CEO.

Soldiers will be roped in as marshals to give directions to stricken commuters in the event of a massive train breakdown, The Straits Times has learnt.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA), which is beefing up its contingency plans, has approached the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to explore deploying the men in green to give directions and manage crowds. They will be tapped only during large-scale disruptions.

The LTA said that personnel from the police, Public Transport Security Command (Transcom) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force are already helping the LTA and the public transport operators in managing such incidents.

A spokesman for the LTA told The Straits Times that it "will also work with other agencies like the Defence Ministry to provide additional manpower resources if necessary".

When contacted, the Defence Ministry also confirmed the move, saying that the SAF will work with LTA in the event of a major disruption, "while maintaining our primary responsibility to safeguard our security environment".

LAST RESORT

Transcom already has a sizeable pool of officers, so activating military men will not be the first course of action. It is a last resort.

MR ALEX YAM, deputy chairman of the GPC for Defence and Foreign Affairs. Transcom is the Public Transport Security Command
The latest move comes on the back of a spate of major incidents involving Singapore's rail system.

The most recent was the July 7 massive breakdown of the North-South and East-West MRT lines, which affected some 250,000 commuters during the peak hour.

There were accounts of people, whose trains broke down around 7pm, not managing to get home until close to midnight. Some had to walk all the way. In the wake of the incident, a review was conducted, said Senior Minister of State

for Transport Josephine Teo in Parliament on Monday. She said it was found that the contingency plans of rail operator SMRT were "not adequate" to handle the scale of the breakdown.

As a result, trunk bus services calling at MRT stations hit by delays or breakdowns will be ramped up to provide alternative travel options for commuters, said Mrs Teo.

Transport expert Park Byung Joon said that tapping the military during massive disruptions makes sense as soldiers can be called up and deployed at short notice and "can channel commuters to the right places as quickly as possible".

The adjunct associate professor at SIM University said that using the military as "alternative backup manpower" during such incidents is not unheard of.

He pointed out that some special forces troops in the South Korean army learn how to operate trains to ensure train services continue in the event of a strike by train drivers.

Mr Alex Yam, deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs, said deploying SAF personnel at MRT stations is not entirely new as soldiers are already put in key installations like Jurong Island and Changi Airport to conduct patrols. They also have experience in crowd control during mega national events like the National Day Parade.

Mr Yam added: "Transcom already has a sizeable pool of officers, so activating military men will not be the first course of action. It is a last resort."

 

[melzp]

Re: Soldiers may help manage crowds in rail disruptions

Sg essential public transport model is all wrong; corporation and municipally.
Profit for shareholders, No Free rides for men in Green/Blue, etc.
And they dare ask for free marshalling !!

 

[rusty]

Re: Soldiers may help manage crowds in rail disruptions

Problems at the top SAF to the rescue...problems at road level also SAF to the rescue

MP to manage town council and Defense Force to manage traffic chaos

Strange isn't it?

 

[soIsee]

Re: Soldiers may help manage crowds in rail disruptions

Sinkie still don't 'get it', do they?

You DO NOT have any say as to HOW your country is being run by the PAP...period!

 

[winnipegjets]

Re: Soldiers may help manage crowds in rail disruptions

Problems at the top SAF to the rescue...problems at road level also SAF to the rescue

MP to manage town council and Defense Force to manage traffic chaos

Strange isn't it?

Stranger still ...HDB used to run the estates at a lower cost ...then PAP decided to transfer it to town councils ...costing ten of millions more ...wonder why? A party that claims to good manager of our money wants to spend more with no gains. Sounds fishy enough for me to suggest that there are supporters of the Party Against People benefitting from the TC.

 

[GoldenDragon]

Spot on but should it come with a fee? Otherwise they may in future paint HDB blocks for free which is part of the essential upgrading.

Can also get NS slaves to help sweep the roads and pick up rubbish.

 

[laksaboy]

Excellent, more sai kang for the NSFs.

As if the annual NDP and the numerous burnt weekends of doing rehearsals aren't enough.

How about cutting down the population number?

This country is now like a packed suitcase that bulges out and can't be closed.

I prefer to travel light. Only morons pack a mountain of crap for their travels.

 

[halsey02]

It is an essential service so there is nothing wrong with calling in the military should things go wrong.

You must be stoned, what they are saying is, whenever, they can, to save money, instead of paying contractors money on standby, make use of CHEAP LABOUR in National Slavery personnel, to help clear massive breakdown of the train system...if possible, every single breakdown. This is to maximise profits & cut costs... for the stakeholders of the transportation providers, are also the stakeholders of SAF.

Free & cheap labour...

If it was a calamity, natural or otherwise, the mobilisation of the army, to help out, I am sure nobody will object...even I will volunteer to help out......but in Singapore, it has a totally different meaning.

Time, you stop ingesting those "medical grass"...."come out of you cloud"...

 

[laksaboy]

Can also get NS slaves to help sweep the roads and pick up rubbish.

Can also set up shoe polishing services at MRT stations. NS slaves should know a thing or two about the effective usage of Kiwi shoe polish.

It is also a useful civilian skill for one's CV.

 

[GoldenDragon]

Can also set up shoe polishing services at MRT stations. NS slaves should know a thing or two about the effective usage of Kiwi shoe polish.

It is also a useful civilian skill for one's CV.

I think they can also help with ironing of clothes fast food style at MRT station. That way, no need so many maids in S'pore.

 

[CABcommander]

NBCB SMRT and SBStransit never even give NS boys free transport during their NS time, so why should they expect NS boys to come to their aid FOC.