Chitchat Khaw speaks after 7 days on defective trains

[scroobal]

Wonder what else they concealed over the years.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/going-public-on-train/2950576.htmlGoing public on train cracks could have caused undue panic: Khaw
Posted 12 Jul 2016 16:49 Updated 12 Jul 2016 17:07

SINGAPORE: Declaring that trains were being returned to China for repairs due to hairline cracks could have caused undue panic, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said at the Bishan Depot on Tuesday (Jul 12).

Mr Khaw said that going public for something that was not "a major event" might have caused unnecessary panic to the layman, noting that to engineers, not all cracks are the same.

"If all cracks have to be reported, if they do not cause any of those issues on safety, they will have to think about what is the impact on the ground," said Mr Khaw. "Looking back, I think it's understandable."

He added that if there was a safety issue, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) would have gone public.

"If there is a safety issue and there's no response, what will that be like?" Mr Khaw asked. "LTA will decide to go public immediately."

The Transport Minister added that even if there were no safety concerns, should rectification works require many trains to be taken away, his ministry and LTA will still explain why they will have to reduce capacity of the rail system.

The briefing comes after Hong Kong-based news agency FactWire reported that the defective trains were being sent back to Qingdao, China, claiming that the recalls were being done "in secret". SMRT has said the trains on its rail lines are "extensively tested" to ensure safety and reliability.

There was no correlation to train delays of more than five minutes to the hairline cracks, LTA said at the briefing. It indicated that most of the delays since 2014 were linked to signalling faults, door or brake issues, with none linked to hairline cracks.

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan inspecting a fixed bolster on an SMRT train. (Photo: Kenneth Lim)

The authority added that even when trains were being repaired, there were always enough trains to meet demand.

For example, for 2016, there are 140 trains available for the North-South and East-West lines, and 124 trains are needed to meet demand. This will continue till 2019 - when replacement work is completed - where there will always be more trains available than needed, according to estimates.

CONSORTIUM WON NEW CONTRACT AS CRACK PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED

The Kawasaki / Sifang consortium also won Contract T251 - for the supply of 91 four-car electric multiple units trains for the Thomson East Coast Lines - because the problem of hairline cracks for trains purchased under contract C151A were resolved conclusively.

"From the experience of C151A, bolsters of trains will be supplied by Japanese supplier Kobe Steel," said LTA.

"Kawasaki / Sifang has shown a high level of responsiveness and strong sense of responsibility in addressing the issue," it added.

LTA said that the consortium won out of six bidders at it provided the best overall offer based on price, quality and life-cycle costs. Other bidders included Hyundai Rotem, which wanted to build the trains in Korea, and Construcciones Y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles, which would have built the trains in Spain. Four other tenderers proposed to assemble the trains in China.

 

[KuanTi01]

Khaw obviously had to get some research done by his backroom boys before he dares to issue something ministerial that seems like a plausible excuse. He is most concerned about causing undue panic among his colleagues in particular, those luminaries in LTA and the SMRT. lol.

 

[rover2sg]

Khaw obviously had to get some research done by his backroom boys before he dares to issue something ministerial that seems like a plausible excuse. He is most concerned about causing undue panic among his colleagues in particular, those luminaries in LTA and the SMRT. lol.

Call that an explanation ? LOL!

He must think that our level of intelligent in very little indeed.

He should balek kampong to pulau pinang, or better still make a "U" turn and send him to the South China Sea.

 

[Pinkieslut]

Call that an explanation ? LOL!

He must think that our level of intelligent in very little indeed.

He should balek kampong to pulau pinang, or better still make a "U" turn and send him to the South China Sea.

Disagree with you. The average sinkies do have low intelligence.

 

[Brightkid]

The faults of hair line cracks, safety factors, etc, are no longer the issue.

It's is the secrecy of the operation really hits home on what other issues were kept from the citizens. Similarly the AIM and Brompton bicycles issues did not surface until netizens raised the alarms.

 

[Hans168]

Understandable??

judge, jury n executioner rolled into ONE........KHAW or fake Buddhist

 

[Hans168]

Call that an explanation ? LOL!

He must think that our level of intelligent in very little indeed.

He should balek kampong to pulau pinang, or better still make a "U" turn and send him to the South China Sea.

In PenisLand he will be hauled to Court for lying while here he frame up oppo while lying thru his fake Buddhist teeth,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[virus]

In PenisLand he will be hauled to Court for lying while here he frame up oppo while lying thru his fake Buddhist teeth,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

buddha would condemn him to hell to live with elve kay whye.

 

[ginbitchy]

In summary:

It was not a major issue because it was not a safety issue.

It was not a major issue, it wasn't necessary for us to go public.

In the end, ownself check ownself.

 

[mojito]

Khaw obviously had to get some research done by his backroom boys before he dares to issue something ministerial that seems like a plausible excuse. He is most concerned about causing undue panic among his colleagues in particular, those luminaries in LTA and the SMRT. lol.

Of course. One Brompton case was enough. It takes time to finger a pawn to take the fall.

 

[scroobal]

The obvious is that he no longer trusts the people thus the time taken and the need to see it for himself. It also shows the culture within the public service has deteriorated where their own minister has doubts about them.

His reasons for accepting the situation and theologic behind is flawed.

Imagine if we built a power plant that cost $350 million and took 3 years to build. We found out 2 years later that all 8 turbines have cracks. We bring in the experts and they tell us that it can last for another 3 to 5 years before permanent fixes need to be made. So we quickly bring online the building of another power plant so that we can cover the first power plant while it is rebuilt in stages. Since there is no safety issues at all, do we tell the public that the vendor screwed up and it is being rebuilt. And the same vendor rewarded with the building of the second power plant. Mind you its more than $350m as it involves bringing in another power plant much earlier.

Clearly there is no sense of transparency and public accountability for use of public funds.

If this was a public listed company, this sort of conduct is not acceptable. As it is major expense item, it will need to be disclosed to stakeholders. No board will condone this sort of behaviour and no board will accept the type of explanation that Khaw threw out.

Khaw among other things did not explain why the completion date was quickly fast tracked from 2023 to 2019 in a matter of 24 hrs - from 7 years to 5 years.

The fear is that since the Minister has clearly condoned this sort of behaviour what else is there that has been hidden. Trust between the people and this government is already frayed long time ago, now its on its last strand,

 

[winnipegjets]

Khaw obviously had to get some research done by his backroom boys before he dares to issue something ministerial that seems like a plausible excuse. He is most concerned about causing undue panic among his colleagues in particular, those luminaries in LTA and the SMRT. lol.

His overpaid scholars did a lousy job then. It is a lame excuse that Khaw has offered. Thinking sinkees will see through that. This is where the Opposition should step up and educate the 69 percent. This 69 percent needs to be told in kindergarten language in order for them to see how the PAP is bluffing them.
If not for the work of the HK group, sinkees wouldn't have known. The PAP had every intention to hide this from sinkees.

But there is more to just getting a warranty fix on those damaged goods. Questions should be asked ...why did we buy shoddy goods, why was this contractor chosen instead of other reputable contractors, did we pay more?

Will our opposition do the legwork to get sinkees riled up over this and many other expensive blunders committed by the PAP?

It is time to hold the PAP accountable ...if the millionaire ministers and senior civil servants are not dying from cancer or losing hair, then they are not been worked hard enough. Time to give them lots of stress.

 

[myfoot123]

Call that an explanation ? LOL!

He must think that our level of intelligent in very little indeed.

He should balek kampong to pulau pinang, or better still make a "U" turn and send him to the South China Sea.

He is a fairy-tale story teller, a great liar, an aweful pretender, an opportunistic sucker, a leech, worm, snakes, maggots and you name it...he is just proud of it.

 

[myfoot123]

Wonder what else they concealed over the years.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/going-public-on-train/2950576.htmlGoing public on train cracks could have caused undue panic: Khaw
Posted 12 Jul 2016 16:49 Updated 12 Jul 2016 17:07

Mr Khaw said that going public for something that was not "a major event" might have caused unnecessary panic to the layman,

Well, that Khaw Peh Khaw Bu should also applies what he preached to opposition and stop stirring shit and picking bones with opposition party over trivial and insignificant matter and cause unnecessary panic to opposition ward.

 

[scroobal]

Agree now that the shoe is on the other foot. Clearly he can't hold himself to the standard that he was vehemently preaching in parliament. His credibility after Brompton fell and after this its languishing in the basement.

Well, that Khaw Peh Khaw Bu should also applies what he preached to opposition and stop stirring shit and picking bones with opposition party over trivial and insignificant matter and cause unnecessary panic to opposition ward.

 

[CABcommander]

clearly he meant to sweep it under the carpet until the cat was let out of the bag.

cannot disclose because it will cause undue panic? much like how when mas selamat first escape they tried to cover it up as long as possible? to avoid undue panic? :oIo:

no choice la 70% love PAP's lies and shit.

 

[mojito]

clearly he meant to sweep it under the carpet until the cat was let out of the bag.

cannot disclose because it will cause undue panic? much like how when mas selamat first escape they tried to cover it up as long as possible? to avoid undue panic? :oIo:

no choice la 70% love PAP's lies and shit.

Thank goodness i dun take train. Otherwise I also will panic!

 

[Seee3]

...

Imagine if we built a power plant that cost $350 million and took 3 years to build. We found out 2 years later that all 8 turbines have cracks. We bring in the experts and they tell us that it can last for another 3 to 5 years before permanent fixes need to be made. So we quickly bring online the building of another power plant so that we can cover the first power plant while it is rebuilt in stages. Since there is no safety issues at all, do we tell the public that the vendor screwed up and it is being rebuilt. And the same vendor rewarded with the building of the second power plant. Mind you its more than $350m as it involves bringing in another power plant much earlier.

....

Khaw among other things did not explain why the completion date was quickly fast tracked from 2013 to 2019 in a matter of 24 hrs - from 7 years to 5 years. d,

Yes, now I agree with you. This is the main issue. Not that there are more problems besides the cracks. Cracks in aluminum alloy are usually caused by oxide in it and it will cause the surface to part. When the car body is in motion, especially curve motion, it wll be under stress and the cracks will propagate. Fatigue crack growth is a widely researched subject because of the use of aluminum for aircraft. The life span of the car body will be shortened when there are such cracks although there may be no immediate safety concern.

I think there is a typo error. It should be 2023 and not 2013. Any way, my guess is that their plan is working However, it needs to be toned down now. It can still backfire anytime, until they get back the repaired trains.

 

[scroobal]

Thanks Bro, have corrected it.

After this unexpected exposure, all eyes are on them to make it work. Note, no explanation on the financial compensation and no details on the extent of cost covered including things like 3rd consultant fees.

Yes, now I agree with you. This is the main issue. Not that there are more problems besides the cracks. Cracks in aluminum alloy are usually caused by oxide in it and it will cause the surface to part. When the car body is in motion, especially curve motion, it wll be under stress and the cracks will propagate. Fatigue crack growth is a widely researched subject because of the use of aluminum for aircraft. The life span of the car body will be shortened when there are such cracks although there may be no immediate safety concern.

I think there is a typo error. It should be 2023 and not 2013. Any way, my guess is that their plan is working However, it needs to be toned down now. It can still backfire anytime, until they get back the repaired trains.

 

[halsey02]

He is a fairy-tale story teller, a great liar, an aweful pretender, an opportunistic sucker, a leech, worm, snakes, maggots and you name it...he is just proud of it.

Buddha would have been proud of him....if he had followed through the teachings, & come clean & commit harakiri for the honour of his belief!