Muscial chair for public transport or just wayang?

[Apollo]

Transport minister announces major changes in land transport

By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 18 January 2008 1248 hrs

 

SINGAPORE: Major changes are expected in land transport after a more than year-long review to improve the situation.

 

In the first of what will be a series of major announcements, Transport Minister Raymond Lim zoomed in on changes to the bus system, which serves two-thirds of all commuter trips today.

 

Speaking at the opening of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) gallery, he outlined the urgency of the problem, stressing that with trips poised to increase 60 per cent between now and 2020, the only option is to steer people towards using public transport more often.

 

For that to happen, Mr Lim said, not just the quantity, but also the quality of public transport would have to improve tremendously.

 

Currently, the system is fragmented between two operators - SBS and SMRT - which plan the routes primarily based on commercial considerations.

 

So firstly, the LTA will take over the central planning of the bus network, with the commuters' ease of journey as the main focus.

 

Buses will also get more priority on the roads with more full-day bus lanes, and making it mandatory for cars to give way to buses at bus bays.

 

More integrated public transport hubs, like the ones at Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio, will be upgraded to make transfers easier.

 

And more travel information will be made available via panels, text messages and websites.

 

The second big change will be to introduce competition among operators, including opening the market to new players.

 

The island will be carved up into different regions and potential operators will bid for these in a competitive tender.

 

The third major change is for the LTA to keep its pulse on the community's transport issues through regular dialogue with grassroots members.

 

More changes, including those to the ERP system, are expected in the following weeks. - CNA/ac

 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin.../323360/1/.html

 

make commuters pay 60% more so they will take public transport... wat farking logic is tat? cannot reduce cost using CNG/ biodiesel?

Edited January 18, 2008 by Apollo

[Froggie888]

Great.... Let's see how the authority will plan the bus route for the convinent of the commuter....

[Parkingidiot]

it doesn't say pay 60% more.. it says trips would be increased 60%

[Silver_blade]

Actually, there is some good news in the article. LTA should have long be the one doing the central planing regarding public transport route...instead of leaving it to the bus companies which is profit driven.

[Apollo]

ya... sollie, i change to topig.

[Apollo]

now is just right hand to slap the back of our head instead of the left hand. got diff meh?

[Juzzme]

looking at the tpt planning policies done by the multi-millionaire elites so far...i'm not sure its good news to have them planning our bus routes.

 

Well, whatever the planning, you can be sure that increase in $ that the public have to cough up will be one of the key results.

[Shiwao]

very good indeed.

 

I do hope there's really an improvement in the current transport network.

 

for buses who ply the trunk routes, it's time to introduce mini bus that plies the minor roads. But breaking up into the regions wise, any use? It remains to be seen.

 

erp? what's new? i won't be surprised if it's does hit double digit fees.

 

and instead of pooling most essential services to a central location why not space them out in the satellite neighbourhood?

[Altivo]

hmm... not clear leh... is this 60% increase in terms of costs or volume?

[Guyver]

Great.... Let's see how the authority will plan the bus route for the convinent of the commuter....

 

That's not the problem ... the problem is ....

 

The one that plans the bus routes .... aren't the one using them ....

[Apollo]

pple say trip leh.. but then hor, why wud one spend more time travelling on public transport network.

does 1 60% spend more time in the toylet in 2020? no logic.

 

by then, the mrt sud b better developed. so mebbe spending more $$$ yet less time travelling is logical. in real terms, $ per km, it may well b correct this imply $$ and well exceed 60% unless the system is highly inefficient.

[Silver_blade]

Agree...but the least is that they are planning to improve the system in a more 'logical' way, But whether or not the planning is successful..is left to be seen later.

[Apollo]

wat if...

 

this "extra" improvement is no more then to cater for another 4 mil FT as citizen to bring total Pop to 10 mil?

 

this is most probable explanation. the 1/2 speak by lengmong lim.

 

face it, the system is giving problem now and u expect he can solve long term problem?

[Typhoonz]

Change liao ka lai kong... To them it's might be major but perhaps minimum to us?

 

So how? Will the ministers also take public transport when they implement it?

 

So what's their main aim of this piece of news? Better kampong classed public transport system or prime the poor commoners for yet another increase in price?

[Mivec9]

imagine i'm going to tampines/pasir ris from place like amk....no direct mrt route Thanks to world class transport system

[Foxfire]

The central planning sounds good, but they usually do, initially. I fear the policy might just turn political, anyone remembers 'White Elephant'? Call me skeptical but I have yet to see one good recent policy that subsidies and benefits the masses without a tangible return to the decision makers. Hopefully, new players (not NTUC/Comfort please) will improve the efficiency of the system. Dialogue with 'grassroots leaders' are like b*lls-hoisting sessions, maybe they need the ego boosting sessions.

[Parkingidiot]

From seeing their brilliant methods of employing E|R|P to "control" traffic, I would not hold my breath to see if their "centralised" bus route planning is any better.

[Apollo]

wun b white elephant lah.. if TPY falls to opposition they probably declare some rodent problem and close the place for the next 5 years due to health reasons and all buses will b re-routed elsewhere.