Singapore Expats

Another article damning Singapore's tranport situation

Discuss about any latest news or current affairs in Singapore or globally. Please DO NOT copy and paste news articles from other sources without written permission.
Post Reply
User avatar
zzm9980
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6869
Joined: Wed, 06 Jul 2011 1:35 pm
Location: Once more unto the breach

Re: Another article damning Singapore's tranport situation

Post by zzm9980 » Fri, 20 Sep 2013 7:45 pm

Wd40 wrote:
zzm9980 wrote:
searth63 wrote:but over the years, as the authorities proclaimed, "world class" transport",...
What other cities of similar density have you used public transit in and found it to be better?
http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/press ... =232729112


Its not just public transport. Its transportation options as a whole. Also it not just the time taken, its the whole experience. By making cars exorbitantly expensive, the gahmen has kind of "forced" the public transportation on the people and given that limitation, if your ride in MRT isn't comfortable, then you are definitely going to be unhappy. I guess that explains why the ranking in the survey is so bad.
Right, but this guy was just comparing the public transit portion to his bicycle. I didn't read the survey until now: They're counting things like bicycle friendliness. No matter how much the government may try, they can't change the weather, the biggest impediment to make the city more bike friendly (but that won't stop people from bitching about it).

And really, it's a lose-lose situation. If cars were cheaper, congestion would be worse than Jakarta. I think most of the general public wants to own a car; but in Singaporean fashion, they don't want anyone else owning them :P

User avatar
Wd40
Director
Director
Posts: 4591
Joined: Tue, 04 Dec 2012 10:53 am
Answers: 1
Location: SIndiapore

Re: Another article damning Singapore's tranport situation

Post by Wd40 » Fri, 20 Sep 2013 8:20 pm

zzm9980 wrote:
Wd40 wrote:
zzm9980 wrote: What other cities of similar density have you used public transit in and found it to be better?
http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/press ... =232729112


Its not just public transport. Its transportation options as a whole. Also it not just the time taken, its the whole experience. By making cars exorbitantly expensive, the gahmen has kind of "forced" the public transportation on the people and given that limitation, if your ride in MRT isn't comfortable, then you are definitely going to be unhappy. I guess that explains why the ranking in the survey is so bad.
Right, but this guy was just comparing the public transit portion to his bicycle. I didn't read the survey until now: They're counting things like bicycle friendliness. No matter how much the government may try, they can't change the weather, the biggest impediment to make the city more bike friendly (but that won't stop people from bitching about it).

And really, it's a lose-lose situation. If cars were cheaper, congestion would be worse than Jakarta. I think most of the general public wants to own a car; but in Singaporean fashion, they don't want anyone else owning them :P
Not just Singaporean. Its Asian, especially so from the part of Asia that I come from :)

User avatar
zzm9980
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6869
Joined: Wed, 06 Jul 2011 1:35 pm
Location: Once more unto the breach

Re: Another article damning Singapore's tranport situation

Post by zzm9980 » Fri, 20 Sep 2013 8:50 pm

Wd40 wrote: Not just Singaporean. Its Asian, especially so from the part of Asia that I come from :)
In the West, we just don't want people we know buying same model of car in the same color :P

I used to have a yellow S2000. Sure enough, one of my douche-y friends went and bought the same damn car.

User avatar
nakatago
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 8363
Joined: Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:23 pm
Location: Sister Margaret’s School for Wayward Children

Re: Another article damning Singapore's tranport situation

Post by nakatago » Fri, 20 Sep 2013 9:20 pm

Wd40 wrote: Not just Singaporean. Its Asian, especially so from the part of Asia that I come from :)
Damn you Indians. You gotta get your s#!+ together; stop hating your own kind. just because you're the wrong caste/place/religion/color/sports team/facial hair.

We need someone in Asia to go toe-to-toe against China! SEA is getting a shellacing because of the South China Sea and dem 'Muricans are too busy hatin' on Obama, praisin' Jesus, flyin' drones, invadin' countries, snoopin' on your email and buyin' high-powered guns to save our asses with them fandangled aircraft carriers and B2's.
"A quokka is what would happen if there was an anime about kangaroos."

TippyToes
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 10:13 pm

Post by TippyToes » Wed, 25 Sep 2013 12:41 am

Max Headroom wrote:I reckon you're right, public transport in Singapore is great. But I have to say that MRT's standards are slipping. Sure, it's still squeeky clean, cheap, safe and fast. Just that those loooooooong stretches of rooooolling ever sooooo sloooooowly for no discernible reason are getting to be a bit of a pain. Is it that bracket issue still?

On a side-note, the other day, I took the train, followed by the bus for a few stops. When I tapped out, the grand total was 1 cent! How awesome is that?
Yeah, apparently that's how little it costs if you tap out from the gantry before 7:45am or something like that. Sweet!

TippyToes
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 10:13 pm

Post by TippyToes » Wed, 25 Sep 2013 12:45 am

Max Headroom wrote:
the lynx wrote:
Max Headroom wrote:On a side-note, the other day, I took the train, followed by the bus for a few stops. When I tapped out, the grand total was 1 cent! How awesome is that?
That's your transfer fare for that bus part, dear.

Total fare is stated on top right corner of the screen.

http://www.publictransport.sg/content/d ... 27_Eng.jpg

Edited: Sorry, tried showing the image here but it would stretch the whole window.
Sure sure, understood, but still eh. In my home country they'd say, Bugger you, we don't do increments, you lose, that's 2 euro, sucker.
Whoops! I guess it wasn't because you took the train/bus that early in the morning after all. My bad! :D

touchring
Member
Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 4:20 pm

Re: Another article damning Singapore's tranport situation

Post by touchring » Fri, 27 Sep 2013 3:24 pm

Wd40 wrote:May be thats the reason why Dubai ranks so high. Petrol is cheap and cars are cheap. Who cares about congestion, when you can have a land rover for yourself :cool: I dont mind spending another hour on the road if I can drive that car, because I can then drop my wife to office or drop my kids to school. Go out on drives with family on weekends. Damn the "world class" public transport man. I would rather have the car.

It'll get even better than auto-pilot cars come in a not so distant future.

disenchanted
Member
Member
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat, 16 Feb 2013 11:12 am
Location: Singapore

Post by disenchanted » Mon, 30 Sep 2013 12:14 pm

Simple. New Delhi is getting better, Singapore is getting worse. Even if the latter still tops the former in terms of objective quality, locals in both places will certainly end up comparing the state of their systems now and in the past , not with each other.

So while New Delhi is elated with their brand new, rapidly expanding Metro, Singaporeans contrast current services with the less crowded, more reliable and cheaper MRT of the past. The resulting despair is understandable.

Another factor would be the COE. Residents here (not just locals) have higher expectations towards public transit because they're effectively prevented from owning private cars, which is also perfectly understandable. The sense of not having a choice but to wait another 3 trains in the peak hours to board one affects the mindsets tremendously.

User avatar
sundaymorningstaple
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 40376
Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
Answers: 21
Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Mon, 30 Sep 2013 12:27 pm

Doesn't bother me at all. Sh*t happens. I habitually leave for work in the mornings so I get to work some 45 to 60 minutes before my start time. One just has to accept certain things if one wants to work in big land scarce cities. No different than NYC or Tokyo.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

disenchanted
Member
Member
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat, 16 Feb 2013 11:12 am
Location: Singapore

Post by disenchanted » Mon, 30 Sep 2013 1:01 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Doesn't bother me at all. Sh*t happens. I habitually leave for work in the mornings so I get to work some 45 to 60 minutes before my start time. One just has to accept certain things if one wants to work in big land scarce cities. No different than NYC or Tokyo.
Fair enough but Singapore's network is far less dense relatively to the population. While in Tokyo a train service disruption basically means that you'd have to take another line to roughly the same area, in Singapore you're basically stuck for god knows how long. And another wonderful thing about Tokyo's railway system is the excuse slips stations issue to passengers in case of delays.

If current expansion plans come true, MRT is only going to be any comparable to those cities in 2020s. Its going to take DTL, TSL, ERL and JRL to give this kind of flexibility to residents here.

User avatar
sundaymorningstaple
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 40376
Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
Answers: 21
Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Mon, 30 Sep 2013 2:07 pm

Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was the NYC subway system (that has been running for over 100 years). Get over it. You could still have nightsoil collectors here. Considering where this country has come from in 50 years, if you didn't have some growing pains, it would be a bloody miracle. Instead of bitching you should be counting your lucky stars that you have colour TV, Mobile phones, and mass transport systems and decent road as well. Even lots of New Yorkers don't own cars due to the crowding and gridlocks that happens daily. At least you don't normally have grid lock here unless a local prangs their car with their passive-aggressive nature. Deal with it, or immigrate and find out you were better off here.
:mad:
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

disenchanted
Member
Member
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat, 16 Feb 2013 11:12 am
Location: Singapore

Post by disenchanted » Mon, 30 Sep 2013 5:20 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was the NYC subway system (that has been running for over 100 years). Get over it. You could still have nightsoil collectors here. Considering where this country has come from in 50 years, if you didn't have some growing pains, it would be a bloody miracle. Instead of bitching you should be counting your lucky stars that you have colour TV, Mobile phones, and mass transport systems and decent road as well. Even lots of New Yorkers don't own cars due to the crowding and gridlocks that happens daily. At least you don't normally have grid lock here unless a local prangs their car with their passive-aggressive nature. Deal with it, or immigrate and find out you were better off here.
:mad:
Those are all objective facts. The MRT is running beyond capacity and its reliability has been declining the past several months, which is inexcusable considering how new the system still is.

And your last point is totally irrelevant. What difference does it make for the transport system if I emigrate or not?

User avatar
ScoobyDoes
Manager
Manager
Posts: 1667
Joined: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 6:42 pm
Location: A More Lucky Spot

Post by ScoobyDoes » Mon, 30 Sep 2013 6:35 pm

disenchanted wrote: Those are all objective facts. The MRT is running beyond capacity and its reliability has been declining the past several months, which is inexcusable considering how new the system still is.

I was on the circle line for the first time at the weekend and was astounded to see, if I remember correctly, the trains are only 3 carriages long?

Whilst the trains are not so busy at this moment, the platforms are the same length and even though the line is just open there is zero scope for expansion.....ever.
'When Lewis Hamilton wins a race he has to thank Vodafone whereas in my day I used to chase the crumpet. I know which era I'd rather race in.'

SIR Stirling Moss OBE

User avatar
Wd40
Director
Director
Posts: 4591
Joined: Tue, 04 Dec 2012 10:53 am
Answers: 1
Location: SIndiapore

Post by Wd40 » Mon, 30 Sep 2013 7:00 pm

I had to visit Mt Elizabeth today. I reached there around 4 PM and was back home around 6 PM. From Tampines I took PIE ->CTE and then Cairnhill Circle Exit. Both times very slow moving traffic especially around the PIE - CTE intersection. Lucky that I was on motorcycle so can still squeeze. This is not even peak times mind you. The traffic situation is certainly deteriorating. I feel sorry for the car drivers who have paid a bomb for their cars. :P

User avatar
sundaymorningstaple
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 40376
Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
Answers: 21
Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Mon, 30 Sep 2013 8:17 pm

disenchanted wrote:
sundaymorningstaple wrote:Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was the NYC subway system (that has been running for over 100 years). Get over it. You could still have nightsoil collectors here. Considering where this country has come from in 50 years, if you didn't have some growing pains, it would be a bloody miracle. Instead of bitching you should be counting your lucky stars that you have colour TV, Mobile phones, and mass transport systems and decent road as well. Even lots of New Yorkers don't own cars due to the crowding and gridlocks that happens daily. At least you don't normally have grid lock here unless a local prangs their car with their passive-aggressive nature. Deal with it, or immigrate and find out you were better off here.
:mad:
Those are all objective facts. The MRT is running beyond capacity and its reliability has been declining the past several months, which is inexcusable considering how new the system still is.
The trains are not running beyond capacity. You believe all the oppie shite? If people would just stagger their times there is plently of capacity. I ride it from Serangoon to Clementi every day 5 days a week at 7 to 8 am and from 6 to 7:30 pm in the evenings. I don't have a problem with overcrowding at all. It's only crowded around the doorways because of ignorant locals who crowd the doorways like flies around a water buffalo's arse.

As far as reliability is concerned, the reliability factor is better than almost every Mass Transit system in the world of a comparable age (20+ years for the north-south and east west lines). It doesn't matter how much maintenance you do, mechanical failures will happen. Not much you can do with new systems as you don't have a history yet of MTBF on the mechanicals so you give it recommended maintenance but that doesn't mean mechanical faults or electrical faults won't crop up. Anything built by man will fail. If you think otherwise, the rest of your life is sure going to be miserable. This is why I suggest you immigrate if you cannot handle a little heat in the kitchen. You need a reality check.
disenchanted wrote:And your last point is totally irrelevant. What difference does it make for the transport system if I emigrate or not?
It will free up even more space for the rest of us who CAN stand the heat in the kitchen. I'd like to see all the whiners immigrate. Then we could enjoy the country. Your nick says it all. :cool:
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “Latest News & Current Affairs”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests