200 SMRT bus drivers refuse to go to work over pay issue

[concern2]

\"PAP MP says public has \"misunderstood\" Transport Minister on fare hike\"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQxRsyQ2Psg&feature=share

What do you think?

[ChiefKiasu]

Moderator’s Note:

Action has been taken to embargo all posts irrelevant to this thread.
Please stay on the issue, people, and not on one another.

[concern2]

Would this be considered relevant?


\"Singlish - 38: Singlish Minister addressed China Bus Drivers' Strike\"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiU6focczOA

[Twinkies]

Dora1:

Twinkies


From your post, I assume you are from HK then? Maybe you can share more with us. IIRC the trains are at a interval of about 1.5min during peak hours, and 2 or 3 min during off peak. I was a tourist there, and that was what I observed. Maybe you can verify? It was very crowded, no doubt. But if you cannot get on this train, the next train comes 1.5min later. So although crowded, but it gets people from one place to the other promptly. But in SG, the peak hour interval is easily 3 min. And many times, you can't get on the 1st train. So waiting time increases. And don't get me started on the 6min interval for off peak. And you wait 6 min to get into a very crowded train at 9pm on a weekday night. 10+ years ago, I have never remembered having to wait 6min during off peak hours for a train in SG, other than maybe at 11pm when it was near the end of service. And the population was a lot smaller back then. It is very unfortunate that it took a watershed election for the gov to finally realise this to pressurize SMRT to increase the frequency.

And in HK, there are a lot of private bus companies operating big and small buses in the city on various routes. From my point of view, at least there were options. It was a truly free market system. HK MTR breakdown 2x a month? That is very different from what my HK colleagues tell me. Anyway, what is your definition of breakdown? If it's those 15 min delay, I think SG MRT is probably close to that number as well, from personal experiences.

In SG, private bus operators (other than those 2) have an impossibly difficult time getting a license to operate public routes. And, there have been great pains to ensure that bus and mrt don't overlap. I don't know how long you have been here, but Bukit Panjang was an excellent example. They removed the feeder buses once the LRT was in operation. Unfortunately, the LRT kept breaking down, and the residents were truly stranded with no feeder bus. Many many appeals were made, and they had to make it a political issue just before a election (not the 2011 one) to have feeder buses reinstated.
And many years ago, I used to have a lot of trunk services that brings me direct to town at a bus stop near me. However, when the NEL was up, all the buses were removed, never mind that the nearest NEL was a good 20min walk from my place. So I had to take a feeder bus to get to the NEL and to transfer to NEL. Frankly, the total amt of time it takes is the same. If they had not removed the buses, I would have continued with the buses. But they successfully created a monopoly and forced people to take the train.

Anyway, you are entitled to think that SG has the best public transport system in the world. But I hope that most of us in SG don't think so. If we think we are the best, that means, no need to improve already = complacency. And complacency is the most direct route to failure.

The current privitized monopoly system is a lose-lose situation for the commuters. They can increase price and provide poor service, and we still have to take the MRT, unless we make it a political issue like last year. Is this a sustainable system? Like now, they want to increase the bus drivers pay, the 1st thing they think of is to increase fares.
If we want to continue with the current private operator system, I say, let it be a true private market. Encourage other small bus operators to offer bus routes, even if they overlap with the current MRT or bus routes. Don't impose so many restrictions and fees. Facilitate the creation of competition. Let people have a choice so that companies like SMRT will not be so complacent and profit orientated. If not, what is preventing SMRT to repeat what Ms S has done to the company for the last 10 years?

You drew such conclusion base on your HK friend's description about the HK MTR?

It's never your personal experience as a regular HK MTR commuter?

It isn't you the one that have lived and worked in HK before? You have never travelled to work during morning rush hours, stuck in the broke down train, often having problem even to step out of the train when you are alighting? Or being shoved back into the carriage by other commuters that are boarding the train while you are alighting? You were never have to transfer 1 ferry ride follow with 2 mini bus rides just to arrive at the \"nearest\" MTR station from your house? You were never have to leave home at 5.30am just so that you can arrive office at 9am? Or often have to hang around at shopping districts after office hours til 10+pm to avoid massive crowd in public transport? Did your friend also tell you that many low wages people don't even go home daily, they stay around the 24 hrs fast food restaurants eg Mac Donald, catching they shut eyes by resting their heads on the tables because they can't afford the ride and the time consumed?

Did your friend mention to you what's the net profit of HKMTR? Compare to their operating cost? Did she also happened to know how many trains HKMTR owns in relative to their passengers/train rides? Does she aware that what's the profit of HKMTR properties/stations rental income? Compares to the train service's profit? And what's the gov or HKMTR subsidy for her as a commuter with that astronomical profit yearly? What's the concession for fare increment? Aren't they allowed to review their fare every 18 months? 

So, as a tourist you observed that the train interval is 1.5mins during rush hours? Did your HK friend tell you that that's not the truth? There is safety protocol to follow...  How long MTR trains stop at each station for boarding and alighting? Half of the time of SG MRT's, so maybe thats why you feel that the ride is faster? 

My heart goes to you that you have to walk 20mins to the nearest NEL... guess 20mins is truly too much to endure and owning a private vehicle would be a better solution when comes to convenience and comfort. 

[Dora1]

Twinkies:

My heart goes to you that you have to walk 20mins to the nearest NEL... guess 20mins is truly too much to endure and owning a private vehicle would be a better solution when comes to convenience and comfort. 

Twinkies

You already have a pre-conceived idea that SG has the best transport system, and I have already said that is fine, I respect that. You provided fresh perspective of the HK transport system which I was never aware of, and I appreciate your contribution. That is what a forum is abt, exchange of different ideas, and we should all respect different ideas.
But your last sentence is a great insult to me. I think it is totally uncalled for. I was just illustrating how the policymakers and the bus/MRT operator force commuters to take the MRT by removing bus services that they always had, without consideration on the convenience of the people. We had direct buses before, and now we have to walk 20 min to the nearest MRT- and that is perfectly fine and we should not complain? How abt the elderly and the young? The option of private cars is never in the discussion in SG public transport system because that is for the minority elites - paying $130K for a basic car?? How can the man on the street afford that?
Do you realise that it is precisely that we all love SG that's why we are exchanging ideas and hopefully come up with some constructive suggestions? The SG transport system overall - cars, buses, MRT, taxis currently is not sustainable from the trend that it is heading. We are a very small country and yet it takes a very long time to travel from one place to another - this will have serious economic impact. We are all here to try to discuss, in the hope that we can find some solution. There is nothing personal here.
I shall not waste my time on replying you anymore.

[raysusan]

http://xuyun74.blogspot.sg/2012/12/mr-lui-tuck-yew-money-is-over-here.html


Mr Lui Tuck Yew, the money is over here

$$$$$$$$$

[winchester]

Twinkies:

You drew such conclusion base on your HK friend's description about the HK MTR?

It's never your personal experience as a regular HK MTR commuter?

what abt the minibus system? frequent goes anywhere from what people rave abt? is the minibus sysmtem something we should follow here?

[octoberbaby]

The last increase was Oct 2011, there was no increase in 2012. So i guess, the increase will be in 2013.


How about other country’s transport system? Do they increase fares every year?

[Twinkies]

Dora1:

Twinkies:

My heart goes to you that you have to walk 20mins to the nearest NEL... guess 20mins is truly too much to endure and owning a private vehicle would be a better solution when comes to convenience and comfort. 

Twinkies

You already have a pre-conceived idea that SG has the best transport system, and I have already said that is fine, I respect that. You provided fresh perspective of the HK transport system which I was never aware of, and I appreciate your contribution. That is what a forum is abt, exchange of different ideas, and we should all respect different ideas.
But your last sentence is a great insult to me. I think it is totally uncalled for. I was just illustrating how the policymakers and the bus/MRT operator force commuters to take the MRT by removing bus services that they always had, without consideration on the convenience of the people. We had direct buses before, and now we have to walk 20 min to the nearest MRT- and that is perfectly fine and we should not complain? How abt the elderly and the young? The option of private cars is never in the discussion in SG public transport system because that is for the minority elites - paying $130K for a basic car?? How can the man on the street afford that?
Do you realise that it is precisely that we all love SG that's why we are exchanging ideas and hopefully come up with some constructive suggestions? The SG transport system overall - cars, buses, MRT, taxis currently is not sustainable from the trend that it is heading. We are a very small country and yet it takes a very long time to travel from one place to another - this will have serious economic impact. We are all here to try to discuss, in the hope that we can find some solution. There is nothing personal here.
I shall not waste my time on replying you anymore.

however you interpret my words is out of my control, you are entitle to it...

Just like you preconceivedly thinking HK MTR is better than SG MRT, but fellow forummers are discerning enough to choose a reliable version to believe, if not debating it publicly with you here.

( Sigh, a 20 mins walk daily to train station is already a plight... that much of a love for the country as proclaimed. It's gonna be a tough world ahead for Singaporean.)

[octoberbaby]

What area you are staying? need to walk 20 mins to the nearest MRT? There are usually feeder buses right?


If staying in private apt or private house, i think it is good to owe a car since can afford to stay in private properties. Buy a small small car or invest in a motorised bicycle?