Another article damning Singapore's tranport situation

[PNGMK]

You know if they actually had flexible work hours here... and an MRT/bus system that ran before 6 and after 12 it would be a little better.

As it is most locals are petrified of not being seen to be at their desk at 830 sharp and leaving at 530 sharp, hence the build up. I either go early/leave early or go late/leave late (but that's not the best because there's too many asslickers hanging around the office until stupid hours).

[sundaymorningstaple]

I solved that problem. I let all my staff know many years ago (been there over 8) that if they are continually staying past 6 pm then I will have to look closely at their KPIs as I know I do not give them enough work to last until six so you stay later at your own peril. About the only time you will see them working late is if we are trying to assemble a tender at the last minute. Otherwise, there is no reason to be there after 6 pm.

[Wd40]

I solved that problem. I let all my staff know many years ago (been there over 8) that if they are continually staying past 6 pm then I will have to look closely at their KPIs as I know I do not give them enough work to last until six so you stay later at your own peril. About the only time you will see them working late is if we are trying to assemble a tender at the last minute. Otherwise, there is no reason to be there after 6 pm.

My previous company was like that. A boutique niche MNC that didn't care about the number of hours but more about what you did during those hours. The fact that it was a consulting company that billed clients on hourly basis, kind of made that kind of culture, more of a financial decision, rather than being caring or anything. I mean they wanted us(consultants) to bill the actual hours worked and not "work 12 hours bill the client 8 hrs". Their logic was if more effort is needed then we need to let the client know about it and get billed for the effort.

I hated that environment, because I was always under pressure. Our billing rates were sky high(450 pounds a day, working offshore in Bangalore) and they expected us to create magic in limited hours.

Now I am in a more conventional setup. I dont have any work, but I am made to stay in office until 6. Works fine for me.

[disenchanted]

Flexitime arrangements did a good job in Tokyo and rest of Japan from what I know. That's why their transportation system is coping just fine now.

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.

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.

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.

Try doing that in Ang Mo Kio or Boon Lay. Trains are jamming up in front of stations and passengers need to miss a few to get in. That's called running the system beyond capacity.

Taipei MRT runs at 3 minute frequencies OFF PEAK and even in Bangkok the planners had the foresight to build extra long platforms to accommodate longer trains in future (both on the BTS and the Metro), which LTA would find redundant. HK MTR is also about a decade older and they somehow managed to avert a streak of breakdowns such as the ones on the MRT. But of course, if you compare it to Rapid KL or Jakarta's KRL, MRT is splendid. But comparing yourself to the worse is about just as constructive as posting at TRE.

And that's interesting, so somebody else 'whining' prevents you from enjoying what you confidently consider good? And no, I'm not whining on the first place, in fact I was suggesting plenty of constructive ideas to LTA during the many dialogue sessions I was invited for with best intentions to improve the whole system. But them actually using it is quite obviously out of my reach.

And to address that once and for all, I support neither PAP or anybody else because its not my business. My nick was made up on the spot for that thread long time ago and would you please get over us disagreeing on the defense policy? Thanks.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Flexitime arrangements did a good job in Tokyo and rest of Japan from what I know. That's why their transportation system is coping just fine now.

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.

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.

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.

Try doing that in Ang Mo Kio or Boon Lay. Trains are jamming up in front of stations and passengers need to miss a few to get in. That's called running the system beyond capacity.

That's not running beyond capacity, that's passengers that don't have enough sense to stagger their departure times. Nothing more. Any mass transit system, if the entire population tried to get on at the "just in time" times zone to get to work will experience the same problem. It's just another manifestation of Kiasuism at it's finest in demanding to ride on it exactly when they want instead of using common sense which is an extremely rare commodity.

Taipei MRT runs at 3 minute frequencies OFF PEAK and even in Bangkok the planners had the foresight to build extra long platforms to accommodate longer trains in future (both on the BTS and the Metro), which LTA would find redundant. HK MTR is also about a decade older and they somehow managed to avert a streak of breakdowns such as the ones on the MRT. But of course, if you compare it to Rapid KL or Jakarta's KRL, MRT is splendid. But comparing yourself to the worse is about just as constructive as posting at TRE.

And that's interesting, so somebody else 'whining' prevents you from enjoying what you confidently consider good? And no, I'm not whining on the first place, in fact I was suggesting plenty of constructive ideas to LTA during the many dialogue sessions I was invited for with best intentions to improve the whole system. But them actually using it is quite obviously out of my reach.

And to address that once and for all, I support neither PAP or anybody else because its not my business. My nick was made up on the spot for that thread long time ago and would you please get over us disagreeing on the defense policy? Thanks.

Huh? Guess I need to go back an pull up your posts just to see what that's all about. Seriously, dude, you obviously didn't make too much of an impression as I don't remember you at all. Get over yourself.

[Strong Eagle]

It's only crowded around the doorways because of ignorant locals who crowd the doorways like flies around a water buffalo's arse.

Analogy of the week (maybe month) award.

[ScoobyDoes]

It's only crowded around the doorways because of ignorant locals who crowd the doorways like flies around a water buffalo's arse.

Analogy of the week (maybe month) award.

It certainly didn't paint a picture that went well with my morning brew.

[v4jr4]

It's only crowded around the doorways because of ignorant locals who crowd the doorways like flies around a water buffalo's arse.

Well, even if we queue, there's always a cutter (but I can't guess the cutter's nationality)

[Mi Amigo]

It's only crowded around the doorways because of ignorant locals who crowd the doorways like flies around a water buffalo's arse.

Analogy of the week (maybe month) award.

Yeah, it had me tittering. Definitely deserves an award (but in the absence of a trophy, SMS, I'll buy you a beer on the 8th Nov).

[sundaymorningstaple]

That'll work!

That was actually a refinement from the old analogy I used to use to describe the same thing. "Like maggots around an open wound", but I was told that it didn't hold up as the wound is always open and don't close but the buffalo's....., well, it's closed but opens periodically, but the flies are there anyway.

It's after lunch so it shouldn't bother too much now.

[the lynx]

It's after lunch so it shouldn't bother too much now.

You do know whatever that's already in can be propelled out at your description, don't you?

[sundaymorningstaple]

It's been a long time since I've seen a good case of projectile vomiting! Guess I just don't hang around Zouk. I hear that goes on a lot there.

[disenchanted]

Huh? Guess I need to go back an pull up your posts just to see what that's all about. Seriously, dude, you obviously didn't make too much of an impression as I don't remember you at all. Get over yourself.

That's all good, but you did seem biased when you automatically took what I said as whining. All I said is that MRT is not extensive enough yet for its ridership and doesn't cope with disruptions as smoothly as more mature networks. End of story.

[thismyvoice]

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.

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.

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.

The fact is, SMRT did take their eyes off maintenance. During the COI investigation in 2012, it was revealed among other things that they only have 1 rail inspection vehicle and it was not even fully functional. They inherited a world class transport, but it has deteriorated some what over the years.

In some ways, it is not all their fault. I read somewhere that Hong Kong and Japan have 3 tracks, thus making maintenance easier. The 2 tracks MRT only has a few hours each day for maintenance.

With regards to capacity, I suggest you make a trip to Bishan and Jurong East station. The metro should handle peak load. You cannot expect the public to arrange among themselves who will go to work early and who will go late. If anything, the government being the biggest employer should take the lead and stagger the working hours of their employees.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I go through Bishan twice a day during peak hours.