NSP Press Release on MRT Saga

[scroobal]

Agree with you.

Very good understatement.

 

[Leongsam]

Agree with you.

The correct Singlish term is "Agreed".

 

[scroobal]

This was nearly 20 years ago when a chap told me that he saw a statement recorded by a Police Officer. He told me that he was so upset that he resolved to send his children overseas to boarding school. I told him he was over reacting. I was wrong and he was right. Both his children are now based overseas. This story is poignant as he is now the CCC chairman of a PAP GRC.

The correct Singlish term is "Agreed".

 

[Perspective]

Had I been the editor of NSP, I would edit the release to this. Short, sweet and succulent. People, don't say I criticise them for nothing or have nothing constructive.

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The recent spate of breakdowns in Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) services has clearly demonstrated the vulnerabilities of a monopoly for essential services, regardless of how efficient and reliable it has been in the past.

Had alternatives been in place when services broke down, the disruption and distress to commuters would have been reduced. Duplication in essential goods and services should not be looked upon as waste, but as a measure of security. Therefore, building "redundancies" into a system can be beneficial.

The NSP has the following suggestions to make:

- To provide commuters with more options, restore bus services running parallel to MRT routes and liberalise to allow more players to enter the market. The operation of SMRT's train and bus services should come under separate companies for greater competition.

- Institute internal and external audits on SMRT's maintenance programme by SMRT and LTA. SMRT stated that it has adhered to strict maintenance schedule, but this does not appear consistent with the damages found, which had to take time to develop.

- Review SMRT's priorities. In recent years, it has shifted its focus from its core functions of efficient and reliable public transport to profit maximization and leasing operations. Although it is not a government agency, it provides a vital public service. Therefore, profit maximization cannot be its sole guiding principle. SMRT also needs to allocate the resources to further build up its engineering capabilities, rather than build up their leasing business.

In conclusion, the NSP reiterates our call to separate SMRT's train and bus operations to different companies with different ownerships and liberalise bus services.

 

[Leongsam]

Had I been the editor of NSP, I would edit the release to this. Short, sweet and succulent. People, don't say I criticise them for nothing or have nothing constructive.

Talk is cheap. Why don't you join an opposition party that best fits your political leanings and volunteer to become the editor of their press liaison department.

Your obvious talents are wasted here.

 

[Perspective]

Talk is cheap. Why don't you join an opposition party that best fits your political leanings and volunteer to become the editor of their press liaison department.

Your obvious talents are wasted here.

Thanks for saying that I got talents.

 

[Airlib]

I think the press release can be a good exercise for summary writing practice. Talking about redundancy...

 

[Conqueror]

You Are From PAP ah ?

nobody is pointing fingers at the right place.

shit happens. nobody injured or property damaged so the breakdown while an awful blight on reputation of spore's transport system is just that. common in other countries with nationalised or private transport.

however, it does not mean smrt is to be free of blame. they cannot be totally blamed for mechanical problems. but they are totally to be blamed for pahetic public comms, lack of contingency planning like sticking to schedules for ferry buses etc

lta. lta has escaped public finger pointing so far. they are the ones who built the lines long time ago, and they did not regulate smrt and sbs properly enough. they expected a private company to spend money on maintenance and suffer opportunity cost on downtime?

You, PAP ah ?

 

[Conqueror]

I Have Designed A Transport Lifesaver !

I don't understand what Hazel Poa means by redundancy in the system. Does she mean we should build two MRT systems rather than just one, and where will we find the space????

Duplication is expensive BUT its definitely not redundancy. Having ####### is a lifesaver.

I do understand what she meant. The present bus system cannot cope with that kind of demand where your population has already hit 5 mil. I have already designed a new transport system for Sinkingland many years ago. Of course, it has to be labelled "Secret". No PAP dog will have this !