Quote:
Originally Posted by
Uranje
Also must ask Ah Long and Ah Ching
Until now both of them still quiet .
Possible shutdown to upgrade Bukit Panjang LRT worries residents, retailers
By Kenneth Cheng
Published: 4:30 PM, October 19, 2017
Updated: 6:43 PM, October 19, 2017
SINGAPORE — Residents, young parents and businesses in Bukit Panjang have expressed concerns after news emerged that the Government is mulling a shutdown of the town’s ageing Light Rail Transit (LRT) system to carry out major upgrading.
Analysts said a multi-year shutdown, while painful, might be a better and more cost-effective solution. But some residents interviewed by TODAY said they prefer a gradual upgrade, citing worries about new commuting woes.
Parents with young children, for instance, said it would be harder for them to commute by bus with their prams in tow. Retailers whose shops are located away from the town centre expressed fears that their business will suffer, as residents change their travel patterns.
On Monday, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said an extensive shutdown for major upgrading work was among the options being evaluated for the Bukit Panjang LRT.
“If we want to do serious upgrading — essentially to close it down so that we can re-do the whole tracks and so on, so that we don’t have these ups and downs. And we’re evaluating that proposition,” he told a press briefing to explain the reasons behind the recent underground flooding that paralysed train services along a stretch of the North-South Line.
However, the minister added that he would be “hard put” to take this decision, as it could mean residents going without the LRT service for three years.
continue reading here :
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...ents-retailers
So you still want to vote for PAP ? Another big problem that will cause the tax payers’ money .
New rail infrastructure adds to rising costs of public transport: PTC chair Richard Magnus
The Public Transport Council will also review a trial scheme that allows free travel and cheaper bus and train fares during off-peak hours.
19 Oct 2017 10:26PM (Updated: 20 Oct 2017 12:14AM)
SINGAPORE:
The Public Transport Council (PTC) will consider the rising cost of maintaining new rail infrastructure as it goes into its annual fare review exercise, PTC chairman Richard Magnus said on Thursday (Oct 19).
The council will also consider whether free pre-peak travel and lower off-peak travel fares will be made permanent.
Mr Magnus wrote in a blog post, titled Balancing Sustainability and Affordability, that the council “cannot turn a blind eye” to rising costs as it has to ensure the “viability of the public transport system”.
He detailed the cost of investments in public transport, such as the new Downtown Line and bus contracting subsidies.
The Government’s investments in new rail infrastructure will cost S$20 billion over the next five years, and comes on top of S$4 billion to renew, upgrade and expand rail operating assets, he wrote. Another S$4 billion will be spent on bus contracting subsidies over the same period.
“While these investments are a necessary part of the Government’s push to improve the public transport experience, they raise operating costs and impose a heavy cost burden on taxpayers,” he said.
OFF-PEAK TRAVEL REVIEW
The PTC will also review the findings of the Free Pre-Peak Travel and the Off-Peak Pass trials.
The council will assess if the tiered fares to incentivise off-peak travel should become a permanent feature, Mr Magnus said.
“The concentration of travel within a few hours each day is resource-intensive and inefficient. A more sustainable solution is to spread out travel demand across the day.” he said.
Read more at
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...magnus-9325772
How is it that possible when you are taking tax payer’s money to fund the mrt infrastructure ??? Everyone knows that when a tender is called LTA will usually goes for the lowest price bid. Even a new DTL 3 also have operating issues . Your concern would be to make that the mrt service provides and efficient ; reliable ; safe and affordable option to cars . People are getting fed up with the unreliablility of Singapore’s mrt system . With such unreliable service you should not even consider raising prices for the next 5 years .
Review underway to address additional fares when switching between MRT lines: Khaw
By Valerie Koh
Published: 11:45 AM, October 20, 2017
Updated: 12:01 PM, October 20, 2017
SINGAPORE —
A review is underway to address additional fares incurred by commuters when they switch between different MRT lines
, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on Friday (Oct 20) at a ceremony marking the completion of the Downtown Line (DTL).
In a speech, Mr Khaw noted that commuters are charged a second boarding fare for such transfers. But as the Republic’s rail network grows denser and with MRT stations on different lines being sited nearer to each other, more commuters are expected to switch between lines for a faster journey.
He added: “In some instances, commuters may save time by exiting one station, walking over to another station, and transferring to another line. Our fare structure currently does not provide for such transfers except at three stations, namely Bukit Panjang, Newton and Tampines Stations.”
He called upon the Public Transport Council (PTC), which is undertaking the review, to make it fairer for commuters who are saving time by switching between MRT lines.
This review of distance-based fares on MRT lines is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year. This is a separate exercise from the PTC’s annual fare review, which will finish by the final quarter of this year.
The additional fares associated with bus-MRT or bus-bus transfers were removed in 2010 in a bid to make transfers more seamless.
Then-Transport Minister Raymond Lim told Parliament that the removal of the “transfer penalty” would create a fairer transport system, as all commuters would pay the same fare for the same distance travelled. “This way, commuters can choose the best way to reach their destination without having to worry about paying extra fare if they make a transfer,” he said then.
The call to remove the additional fares for transfers between rail lines came as the DTL, the Republic’s fifth MRT line, readied to go into full operation from Saturday.
continue reading here :
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...mrt-lines-khaw
Service so horrible still dare to review fares .
Still want to vote for PAP ?
“NSEWL is not a true city subway or metro system for getting around town” – Academic explains complex issues plaguing MRT system
October 20, 2017
Why hasn’t the Singapore government found a way to solve the MRT issue by now? Can’t they tell that people are frustrated?
Singapore Institute of Technology’s Vice-President of Planning, Mun-Heng Tsoi, stepped up to answer this pertinent question posted on an online forum yesterday, explaining the complex issues plaguing Singapore’s rail transport system.
Writing on online question-and-answer forum Quora, Tsoi – who has formerly served with organisations like the Ministry of Defence and the Republic of Singapore Air Force – shed light on the issues that caused the Singapore rail system to be in the poor state it is in today:
“We allowed the MRT system to be run on economic (or profit making) considerations, assuming that somehow the market will result in “efficient allocation of resources”. We know what happened. Engineering and maintenance was sacrificed to maintain profitability. Knowledge and skills were allowed to leak out. Over time, attitudes deteriorated. That fatal accident involving irregular release of people to work on a live track is a symptom of an attitude problem.”
Tsoi’s comprehensive response is the type of response one might expect a government representative to express. Read it here in full:
The MRT issue is a complex one – and complex issues are inherently difficult to solve. The second question is easier to answer. Of course they can tell – it was one of the causes of the election results in 2011 and the post of Transport Minister has proven to be a truly hot seat. So one could surmise that the “Singapore government” is desperately trying to resolve the MRT issue before they get another setback at the next election.
But why is it so complex?
To begin with , there are multiple systems involved: trains, power supply, tracks, weather/climate, control and signalling systems, even platform doors. A look at the problems that have cropped up in recent years have shown up problems in all these diverse systems. A simple thing like a faulty switch on a platform door can hold up the trains (I was caught in that – gave up waiting). Some are difficult to even troubleshoot – like the malfunctioning train that was sending out spurious signals and took a team of expert engineers to tease out the fact that problems happened when this particular train was passing by.
The more systems there are, the more ways in which they interact, the more ways in which seemingly small failures can affect the larger system.
The current signalling upgrade is causing a lot of problems – partly because of the complexity of the system. There is no way to detect some of the design flaws until you run it on full operating load. Then you have a failure. And upset a lot of people.
One factor which few really understand is the environment. Singapore is a hot and wet country – this causes problems like corrosion, and the ingress of water in the tunnels. Most of the systems in use were designed and used in cooler and drier climates – our climate is an additional stress on the system. Hence we had that power trip caused by water seeping into electrical systems, and the recent flooding incident.
Another factor is the fact that this is a live system where maintenance and upgrading work is restricted to a few hours a night. Upgrading old systems take months and years because of this.
Yet there are examples of complex systems that work reliably. The difference is people. Or more specifically, their knowledge, skills and attitudes. At the centre of this are the engineers and technicians who keep the hardware running. And here is where the answer lies. We allowed the MRT system to be run on economic (or profit making) considerations, assuming that somehow the market will result in “efficient allocation of resources”. We know what happened. Engineering and maintenance was sacrificed to maintain profitability. Knowledge and skills were allowed to leak out. Over time, attitudes deteriorated. That fatal accident involving irregular release of people to work on a live track is a symptom of an attitude problem.
continue reading here :
http://www.theindependent.sg/nsewl-i...ng-mrt-system/
Putting the right people with the right mind sets and skills will certainly go a long way . And that means it has to start from the top . By getting the right CEO and Managing Director with the relevant background will surely imrove the situation on the ground . Don’t you think so ? Disclaimer : I do not have engineering background but I used the mrt frequently . Have already encountered 3 train disruptions so far myself . You can understand how frustrated we are when ever there is a breakdown in mrt services . Is it fair to me that I am late for my work and appointments ?
Peak-hour travel fares might rise as costs of new rail infrastructure and renewal works mount
October 20, 2017
Public Transport Council Chairman Richard Magnus has indicated that public transport fares for peak hour commuters may be raised as the Council “cannot turn a blind eye” to the mounting costs of maintaining new rail infrastructure and renewal works on existing infrastructure, as it has to ensure the “viability of the public transport system.”
In a blog post on the PTC’s website, titled Balancing Sustainability and Affordability, Magnus revealed that the government intends to invest S$20 billion in new rail infrastructure over the next five years, on top of S$4 billion to renew, upgrade and expand rail operating assets. An additional S$4 billion will be set aside for bus contracting subsidies over the same period.
He wrote:
“While these investments are a necessary part of the Government’s push to improve the public transport experience, they raise operating costs and impose a heavy cost burden on taxpayers.”
To combat this, the PTC is studying differentiated transport pricing for peak hour, off-peak hour and pre-peak hour commuters.
Magnus said that the Council is considering whether free pre-peak travel and lower off-peak travel fares should be instated permanently to incentivise off-peak travel:
“The concentration of travel within a few hours each day is resource-intensive and inefficient. A more sustainable solution is to spread out travel demand across the day.
“The council is therefore evaluating travel patterns to determine how a differential fare mechanism can best help smoothen travel demand in Singapore.”
However, this likely means that peak-hour travel fares might rise as off-peak and pre-peak fares decline, in the effort to “spread out travel demand across the day” and protect the viability of the increasingly costly system.
Magnus ended his post by asserting “Singapore’s rail fares are among the lowest in Asia, and considerably lower than those in Australian, European and North American cities,” before assuring:
“We must, and will, continue to keep the voices of our commuters firmly at the forefront, even as we consider the rising costs.”
The PTC is presently in the midst of its annual fare review exercise, and is reviewing the 2017 fare adjustment and rail operators’ proposals “against this background” of mounting costs.
The Council aims to strike a balance between “keeping our public transport fares affordable and ensuring the long-term viability of the public transport system.”
continue reading here :
http://www.theindependent.sg/peak-ho...l-works-mount/
Service so fucked up still want to increase fares ?
So you still want to vote for PAP ?
Khaw must accept full responsibility and step down
Protected October 20th, 2017 | Author: YourSDP
In keeping with the PAP culture of claiming all the glory while avoiding any responsibility, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan has yet again placed blame on everyone but himself in the latest incident of flooding in the MRT tunnel.
Mr Khaw pointed his finger at the SMRT staff and said that they had “failed us”. As a result, the leader of the unit in charged of anti-flooding maintenance was removed and the team members will have their bonuses cut.
Such action would have sufficed if the incident was an isolated one. But breakdowns and other serious lapses of the train system are a common, even regular, occurrence that have gone on for years.
The breakdown of the Downtown Line 3 during its open house is just the most recent one in a multitude of train system malfunctions. Glass panels at train stations have shattered, the inside of train carriages have leaked during heavy rains, and brand new trains have even been found to have cracks in them.
In 2016, two SMRT workers were killed at the Pasir Ris Station. Investigations showed that the tragic accident occurred because safety procedures were not followed – for 14 years.
All this took place under Mr Khaw’s watch. Yet, the Transport Minister has managed to cast the blame on someone or something else on each and every occasion. Disciplinary action against staff members have been taken and fines imposed.
But as the minister-in-charge of such a shambolic system, Mr Khaw remains in his post and continues to enjoy the enormous salary that he clearly does not deserve.
SMRT CEO Mr Desmond Kuek blamed the woes that have plagued the system on “deep-seated cultural issues” within the company.
Such an observation is indicative that the problems extend well beyond employees of SMRT. It falls on the lap of the minister whose responsibility it is to change the organisation’s culture if it is found wanting.
continue reading here :
http://www.tremeritus.com/2017/10/20...and-step-down/
Do you guys agree ?
Sit-in protest to be held for frequent train breakdowns and latest flooding incident at NSL
Protected October 20th, 2017 | Author: Editorial
Mr Gilbert Goh, the founder of Transitioning.org is organizing another sit-in protest at Hong Lim Park on 4 November (Saturday), in light of the recent major service disruption in the train system at North South Line on 7 October (Saturday) and breakdown at Downtown Line on last Sunday.
According to Gilbert, the planned two-hour sit-in-protest seeks to allow Singaporeans to show their displeasure at the frequent train break down and the latest mishap which was badly managed by the leadership of the transport company.
“Singaporeans have suffer immensely and silently from their train failures for many years and its time we step up our protest so we wont be seen as taking it lightly” Gilbert reportedly said.
In a press conference by LTA and SMRT on Monday (15th Oct), it was revealed that the flooding of the MRT tunnel which caused a twenty-hours termination of service for six stations was caused by poor maintenance of the anti-flooding system. A few days later, the Vice-President of Maintenance at SMRT was replaced to placate angry commuters.
Mr Desmond Kuek, Chief Executive Officer of SMRT said at the press conference that deep-seated cultural issues remain within the company that need more time to root out, despite some progress being made.
“Indeed, many of our major disruptions in the past have been attributed in some part, or all, to human error or failure,” Mr Kuek said. ” We regret that this is so.”
Khaw Boon Wan, who is the minister in charge of LTA said at the same press conference that if the anti-flooding system was well-maintained, the reservoir to hold the excessive rainwater should be empty before it starts to flow.
There were plans to replace the water pumps on 29 September, but it was delayed, said Mr Khaw.
continue reading here :
http://www.tremeritus.com/2017/10/20...cident-at-nsl/
Thank you Mr Gilbert Goh for organising the event . Please support this event if you are not satisfied with the mrt service in Sillypore .
Delays on Downtown Line 3 due to defective train, emergency button activation: SBS Transit
21 Oct 2017 05:21PM (Updated: 21 Oct 2017 06:50PM)
SINGAPORE: Delays on the Downtown Line 3 (DTL3) during its opening day were caused by a defective train as well as the activation of an emergency button, said SBS Transit on Saturday (Oct 21).
“This afternoon on the DTL, a defective train was withdrawn from service at the Tampines West Station which caused a delay of about five minutes,” said SBS Transit in a statement.
“Following this, a passenger activated the emergency communication button on another train as it was approaching the Tampines East Station,” SBS Transit added. “This added a further delay of about 15 minutes.”
The transport operator added that it was investigating the cause of the train fault.
Commuters reported delays on the new line a few hours after it officially opened.
At around 2pm, commuters took to social media to complain, with Twitter user T.O.P_KING posting that the train he was on had stopped “at every station for a short while”.
Delays were reported at various stations along the line including at Tan Kah Kee, Sixth Avenue, Tampines and Bedok North.
Read more at
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...rgency-9331834
New line also got problem . So how Mr Khaw ? What excuse are you giving this time ?
Still want to vote for PAP ?
Commuters experience Downtown Line delays on first day of DTL 3 opening
The soft launch a week ago also experienced delays.
By Guan Zhen Tan | 5 hours
Commuters on the Downtown Line 3 on Saturday, Oct. 21, are reporting delays on the first day the line opens to the public.
The commuters say they are “stuck” at some stations such as Bedok North station and Mattar station.
The Straits Times reported that the delay is due to a train fault, and the defective train was pushed out.
One train had stopped at Promenade station and moved only after 20 minutes.
Social media has been peppered with posts about the DTL delay:
continue reading here :
https://mothership.sg/2017/10/commut...dtl-3-opening/
Such world class transport system . Still want to raise fares ?