The BIG Breakdown or Meltdown
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3Boys:
agreedNo, the failure of checks is pretty inexcusable.
But would a government-run entity do any better?
As I see on this forum, there is plenty of dissatisfaction with the g'ment oredi, so why does one think they would do a better job by taking over the public transport?
How about education? G'ment run yes? How many of you are satisfied?
I think this notion that all problems will be solved by turning things public is fool's gold.
but before MRT was corporatised-and-then-listed it was running well. presumably as a stat board, on operating-cost recovery basis, and the infrastructure cost was borne by tax payers; and there was quite a number of reports highlighting the rigorous maintenance work carried out at night. but since profit is a kpi, it ruined the whole thing but it need not be and should not have been this way
Telecoms, PUB, HDB, PWD, JTC, all were running well under the the various stat boards by the very efficient civil servants until they are corporatised and prices to consumers start to increase relentlessly without increase in efficiency -
verykiasu2010:
3boys, for all intents n purposes, d gahmen maintains a strong hand in running of SMRT n d various GLCs dat VK2010 mentioned.
agreed3Boys:
No, the failure of checks is pretty inexcusable.
But would a government-run entity do any better?
As I see on this forum, there is plenty of dissatisfaction with the g'ment oredi, so why does one think they would do a better job by taking over the public transport?
How about education? G'ment run yes? How many of you are satisfied?
I think this notion that all problems will be solved by turning things public is fool's gold.
but before MRT was corporatised-and-then-listed it was running well. presumably as a stat board, on operating-cost recovery basis, and the infrastructure cost was borne by tax payers; and there was quite a number of reports highlighting the rigorous maintenance work carried out at night. but since profit is a kpi, it ruined the whole thing but it need not be and should not have been this way
Telecoms, PUB, HDB, PWD, JTC, all were running well under the the various stat boards by the very efficient civil servants until they are corporatised and prices to consumers start to increase relentlessly without increase in efficiency
He makes a valid point. Things haven't been d same since d pressure is on d GLCs to keep generating more profits. -
Just to shed some light on privatisation. I do not think all our infra-structures in SG privatised for the sake of competing here. We are far too small, it would be child’s play. Privatisation allows us to work across borders. If we continue to bash ourselves we have no value to offer to others and shoot ourselves on competitive grounds. Do we think we can survive just based on our own local markets alone? We need to generate jobs for our people overseas as well. Let’s think harder instead of bashing ourselves everyday. Don’t forget at the end of the day our best resources is our brains.
Do you know that Taiwan model their MRT system after ours? Taiwanese can tell me this, can you? I have enjoyed their MRT system because they have eradicated a couple of things we did not do well when we first built ours and we shared with them. I have lived in a few places before and I understand the value we represent. While I think it is great that we are always asking for ourselves to improve, we could do it in a more reasonable fashion towards ourselves. Yes indeed we have alot to improve upon but suggestions would be good and written to the right authority.
FYI, I am travelling by MRT and bus daily in another foreign land now. For the record, they had experienced glitches for the MRT when I was here and they just made announcements about it and apologised for it happening and life moved on. No one was particularly bothered by it when I watched the reaction of the commuters and I gathered it probably happened enough times to warrant that as a common affair.
It is no doubt our maintenance programme for our MRT has to be reviewed, give them time to sort this out and I am sure privatisation also means that they have better get their act together better and faster because everyone is watching, even from the outside. Of course the idea was not to profit internally but that is a temptation the human nature will succumb to. So we need the right people for the major roles. -
verykiasu2010:
dat post on 'got competition' was pure sarcasm
I don't anyhow say got no competition.
I say it properly : There is no competition because there is no alternative services for the same route - be it bus or train. It is utterly wicked to remove the bus routes that run on similar routing to the MRT line, forcing MRT ridership to increase - and of course this increased in ridership of the train is not due to the management capability of SMRT (Saw Must Resign Today)
What u said about d removal of bus routes could well explain commuters' disgust
when SPH said SMRT provided free bridging bus services when d trains broke down.
Whilst what she said is factually correct at face value,
it is also expected service as dis shd be part of a service recovery procedure n
not done as a favour to stranded commuters when parallel bus services hv oredi been removed. -
3Boys:
:snuggles: Hmmmmm? I don't believe that I have taken a stand on this issue yet? I hadn't quite made up my mind until this incident.
Don't worry my dear, I never take these things personallyChenonceau:
I was their consultant for over a year and I saw how things changed AFTER privatisation. Maintenance budget shrank. Training budget shrank. Bed bugs began to appear in buses, and repairs were left so late that newspapers highlighted them. And now, bus drivers lose their way!! Meanwhile, CEOs report PROFITS and take home FAT paychecks eh?
Maybe SBS Transit was not PROFIT-efficient, but it sure was efficient in how it moved Singaporeans from home to work, and it sure did help build our reputation as an efficient country.
3boys, I have regard for you and it pains me that we now disagree. I hope you don't mind. It's just an opinion. We can agree to disagree. and you are at liberty to blast me all you wish, and I still have the highest regard for your thoughtful writing.
Although I must say it seems that it is your position have shifted rather than mine on this issue (which is now the stodgy and very unfashionable line of profit-motive for sustainability of services).
I understand your point, and it is well taken. -
Sun_2010:
There will be accountability as political cost will be too great to ignore.
Totally agree!!
Where is the accountability ??
Was it an act of nature beyond the control of SMRT?
Was it an terroist act ?
No it is a simple case of no proper maintenance, proper replacement plan,
Something that is scary to think.
The problem is that things should have been checked long before it came to this point. A maintenance failure shows a chronic problem It is a big time negligence on someone's part and its time some one took responsibility.
\"Customer pain is necessary\"
Why should the I the customer bear the pain when SMRT is the one at fault? I have been paying for my ticket and my taxes on time.
\" The circle line works caused lesser maintenance\"
So the Circle line was built at the cost of the NS - EW line?
SPH is not high up enuf to appoint her own subordinate to COI committee, aka WKS/mas saga. :evil:
Someone will take d fall. -
verykiasu2010:
Dyeing fringes of greying hair with an explosion of colourful hues count as maintenance arnot?as regional president of DFS, she did not need to know what is maintenance work and maintenance budget
the word \"maintenance budget\" probably did not exist in her vocab till yesterday
but she ought to know this metro running under Orchard Road is not the same as the Metro used to be on Orchard Road
she thought she was running another Metro
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maintenance costs money
more maintenance costs more money
more money cuts into profits
CEO answers to shareholders about profits
Wonder who the biggest shareholder in SMRT is....?
Wonder who the head of the biggest shareholder is...?
:? -
Way2GO:
maintenance of hair, yes
Dyeing fringes of greying hair with an explosion of colourful hues count as maintenance arnot?verykiasu2010:
as regional president of DFS, she did not need to know what is maintenance work and maintenance budget
the word \"maintenance budget\" probably did not exist in her vocab till yesterday
but she ought to know this metro running under Orchard Road is not the same as the Metro used to be on Orchard Road
she thought she was running another Metro
she probably also maintain the railway tracks on her forehead, but alas, did not do so for that of the metro :evil: :evil: :evil: -
3Boys:
Yes, Taipei metro. It's owned by Taipei City govt. Publicly run, YET not making losses and metro fares are CHEAP.So, before we throw the baby out with the bathwater, do we know if not-for-profit mass transit systems are better run than for-profit transit systems?
Putting on my flame-retardant jacket now..... :siam:
How cheap? Fares for distance below 5KM is only NT16 (about S$0.70) with the use of Easy card.
And because it's not for profit, kids under age of 6 get to travel FOC.
Senior citizens enjoy 50% discount.
According to a study conducted by the Railway Technology Strategy Centre of Imperial College and data gathered by Nova/CoMET, the Taipei Metro has ranked number 1 in the world for four consecutive years in terms of reliability, safety, and quality standards (2004–2007).
Our govt always says that if public tpt is run by govt, quality of service, efficiency blah blah blah will deteriorate. But there are successful run systems in other countries to prove otherwise.
I was in Taipei for hols in Nov. My family and I were deeply impressed with their metro. To keep the fares low, they operate extensive metro underground malls but NOT to increase profits substantially so as to pay more dividends to shareholders and bonus to mgmt.
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