Dear Minister. I’m very disappointed that you’re only just merely disappointed. Perhaps your disappointment might not have been so disappointing had you been disappointed in 2011. But for your disappointment to come only after another fellow Minister’s dissatisfaction (over another matter), that is quite unsatisfactory. There is nothing world class about our land transport.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean expressed his dissatisfaction over the recent security breach at the Woodlands Checkpoint and the subsequent handling of events. He directed both the Commissioner of Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and Commissioner of Police to him on the corrective actions they are taking, and to recommend appropriate actions to be taken against officers who have not discharged their duties properly.
Very army like. Basically he called the two fellows up, scolded them, and commanded them to report back to him.
Then two days later, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew kind of copy-and-pasted the model template from Teo Chee Hean. He met with CEO and senior management of SMRT to express his disappointment, and instructed them to provide him an update on their investigations and remedial actions to be taken by next week.
Yeah. Sounds very similar?
If you recall, back in 2012, Mr Lui set a target for his Ministry to minimise train disruptions that last 30 minutes or longer. I posted about this New Singapore Standard for Train Service. It’s now 2014. Do you think the number of train disruptions that last 30 minutes or longer have reduced in numbers since then?
Just look at 2014. We’re not even through with January yet, but we already have 3 disruptions, each one lasting more than that 30 minute magic performance standard.
Talk about world class transport. At this rate, we’ll be doing some 36 disruptions this year.
I don’t think Mr Lui should be disappointed or dissatisfied at the current situation. No. He should, in fact, be completely outraged, shocked, and furious. He should be contemplating the appropriate actions to take against the senior officers responsible for these disruptions.
Just only disappointed, really?
We’re not dealing with Primary School kids here. You don’t just express concern and give counsel, then hope for the best. There ought to be a rattan stick, raining down generous amount of discipline where it is needed.
With this sort of train service, the Public Transport Council still thinks it justifiable to increase fares. That despite operators like the SMRT continuing to rake in more and more profits. It’s no wonder that Singaporeans are so furious.
The least Lui could do is to force the PTOs to suspend their fare hikes while letting the concessions continue. This would at least regain some public trust and confidence that the government cares. But obviously, they think and act otherwise.