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Singaporeans are fed up with MRT service
March 13th, 2011 |
Author:
Your Correspondent |
Edit
In his desperate attempt to quell Singaporeans of their frustrations with the inadequate public transport system, the Transport Minister Raymond Lim announced on Tuesday the addition of 420 more train trips by SMRT on the North-South and East-West Lines from this Sunday and the addition of 170 trips by SBS Transit on the North-East Line from March 21.
But those thinking that it will result in a relief from the peak hour squeeze will be disappointed.
Most of these additional train trips will be added during off-peak hours. During peak hours, passengers often have to skip several trains before they can squeeze into one without the train doors closing on them. Tempers flares are not uncommon, and commuters have to tolerate close bodily contact with fellow passengers.
The MRT trains are mostly packed in the weekday evenings and weekends as well, whereby the trains are operating at more than 6 minutes intervals. Unfortunately, overcrowding and train frequency are not the only complaints that Singaporeans have on the train service.
One other complaint is the lack of grab poles or hand grips to hold on to in a crowded train. Most MRT trains have only a grip bar in the middle of the train cabin (see picture). This has left many commuters inside the cabin without any grab poles or hand grips within reach.
During peak hours, trains can often come to an abrupt stop because of overriding from the control system to maintain a minimum distance from the train ahead, before accelerating again. These abrupt stops and accelerations tend to throw standing passengers without something to hold on to off balanced and falling on one another.
Another main complaint commuters have with their train rides is stuffy train cabins. This is despite SMRT¡¯s oft-repeated replies to readers¡¯ letters in the papers that the air-conditioning in trains is set at 24 deg C. The crux of the matter is that there is only very weak intermittent air flow emitting from the air vents, which fails to ventilate most areas of the train cabins. On an afternoon, commuters can often be seen fanning themselves.
While the public transport hardware is far from world class, it is not helped by a transport service provider SMRT that decides to control amenities, such as air-conditioning, to be more cost-effective, regardless of the comfort of its commuters.
The Public Transport Council (PTC) must stop being just a rubber stamp for transport fare increases. As a taxpayer-funded body, it must also do much more to ensure a quality train service and safeguard the interests of commuters.
.
Edmund Khor
.
To see some of MRT commuters¡¯ grouses, go to <A href="http://amplicate.com/hate/mrt" target=_blank>
http://amplicate.com/hate/mrt
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