Elite says: Major disruption in 24 years is understandable

[CKP]

SPH: "You can't handle the truth!"

 

http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/...ory_746601.html

 

Relatively smooth ride for morning rush hour crowd

 

It was a relatively smooth ride for the morning rush hour crowd taking the train on Monday, even though some MRT stations were more crowded than usual and some passengers had to wait longer to board the train.

 

Many commuters also set off earlier than usual, in anticipation of longer waiting times and slower trains. Announcements were also made in stations and onboard trains to notify passengers that travelling time might be slightly longer.

 

Operator SMRT had said on Sunday that frequency during peak hours will be affected because there will be fewer trains running on the North-South and East-West lines, with 13 damaged trains taken out of service. Trains will also be made to slow down in certain areas downtown between Outram and Somerset as a precaution against vibrations that could have caused some rail brackets to be dislodged.

 

At Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station - an interchange that connects the North-South, North-East and Circle lines - the crowd started to grow after 8am. The situation was relatively orderly, and packed trains in both directions pulled in every two minutes. But some commuters had to wait for more than one train before they could board.

 

Senior sales associate Darren Seow, 32, said he left home about 10 minutes earlier to be on the safe side. He lives in Sengkang and took the North-East line to Dhoby Ghaut to change to the North-South line. He managed to board the train towards Raffles Place only on his second attempt.

 

Hotel housekeeping worker Sng Ah Kee, 60, who was also waiting to board the train at Dhoby Ghaut, said commuters should not complain but try 'to co-operate with SMRT' because it is trying its best. She was caught in last Saturday's train delay and had to switch to a bus midway, adding 45 minutes to her journey from Bukit Gombak to Dhoby Ghaut.

 

Her only complaint: 'Announcements made on the train sometime too muffled and only in English. And instead of apologising for the delay, they should tell people how long the delay would last, so people don't just wait around endlessly.'

 

At City Hall MRT station, trains were arriving at intervals of about three to four minutes. Student Dennis Leong, 34, who took the train from Tampines, said: 'It seems that the trains were slowing down before it hit the tunnel. But besides that, there hasn't been any other noticeable differences.'

 

Retail manager Veronica Tan, 50, who was caught in the train breakdown on Thursday, set off for work 20 minutes earlier. 'Trains do seem slower but it didn't have much impact,' said Ms Tan, who arrived at her workplace 15 minutes early.

 

At Jurong East MRT station, crowds were visibly thinner at about 8am. The relatively quiet atmosphere surprised Madam Toh Moi, 67. 'So few people today... Maybe everyone has switched to taking the bus,' she said. She was taking the train to Commonwealth. Despite the delay in train frequency, most people were still able to get on the trains with some space to spare. Service ambassadors were deployed to manage the crowd.

 

At Bishan MRT station, train frequency on the North-South line was about two to three minutes.

 

But some commuters took precautions, such as leaving the house earlier and making a detour to avoid the affected downtown stretch. Ms Itha W., 28, who lives in Johor Bahru and commutes by train to Singapore for work, left home 20 minutes earlier at 6.30am and opted to use the Circle Line.

 

 

VERSUS

 

 

 

Yahoo: "Real News, No Bull. We tell it like it is."

 

Trains on N-S line slow, sometimes stall - Yahoo!

 

Southbound trains on the North-South Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line were slow and stalling at times on Monday morning amid an otherwise business-as-usual start to the work week.

 

Commuters reported that between 9:45 and about 10:45am trains all along the North-South Line experienced delays by between three and 10 minutes, with the first reported stalling believed to have occurred at about 9:45am.

 

23-year-old Jamuna Sundaraj was on her way to work in Raffles Place when the train she was on stalled for about 10 minutes between City Hall and Raffles Place stations.

 

 

Edited December 20, 2011 by CKP

[Ace]

A major disruption in 24 years is understandable - and forgivable

 

AS A Singaporean who has spent a good part of the past 10 years in Japan, and now in Spain, let me offer a different perspective to last week's train disruptions in Singapore ('Commuters delayed as Circle Line breaks down', last Thursday; 'MRT breakdown chaos', last Friday; 'PM orders inquiry as trains break down again', Sun-day) .

 

Japan has one of the most efficient transport systems in the world, yet it is also prone to the occasional disruption, whether it is caused technically or for other reasons.

 

In Barcelona where I live, the transport system is vulnerable to workers' strikes, which sometimes mean disrupted service for long periods.

 

Yet in both places, the public react calmly and do not point fingers at their government in anger.

 

By contrast, I read my friends in Singapore who rant online about operators, the Ministry of Transport and even the minister.

 

This reflects a population pampered by an efficient society who have grown intolerant.

 

A major breakdown in 24 years of operation is understandable - and forgivable.

 

We can improve the current systems by revising ways of communication so commuters can be better informed in an emergency.

 

For example, when a disruption occurs in the train network in Japan, information about the incident is immediately available on the website of the company, various news websites and a banner is displayed on Japanese tele-vision channels. This allows affected passengers to check the latest information online with their mobile phones, and lets them consider alternative routes before they travel.

 

This will allow us to maintain our world-class transport reputation.

 

Samson Guanglin Lee

 

Barcelona, Spain

 

 

quick check which areas is reaching 24 years of operation soon, chances are they might breakdown and is forgiveable.

[Porker]

When I was in Japan and took a train with a friend working there. The train experienced a one minute delay. My friend said that was the worst he had seen, and has never happened before and I must have jinxed the train. Japanese trains are timely to the minute.

 

That was before the earthquake, but we are not comparing natural disasters here, are we?

 

If every single delay exceeding one minute of SMRT is considered a disruption, we will be cursing the government every few hours... probably every hour, if we are that "intolerant".

 

JR will give letter of explanation if the train service is disrupted because the commuters have to explain to their companies!

 

SMRT will ask you to go **** yourself

[2BDriver]

quick check which areas is reaching 24 years of operation soon, chances are they might breakdown and is forgiveable.

My 26 years old marriage record consider or not ? LOL

[Zze121]

Diff is ppl here r much restricted by law, can't strike so just go online and Kpkb only. please dun compare if not ppl here kana high blood or heart malfunction n die of no finding...

[Tigerwoods]

My 26 years old marriage record consider or not ? LOL

Your tracks are really well covered... Most of the men were tracked down by wife and they breakdown and cried many years ago.

I'm into my 18 years next year...

[Scoots]

Hello!! The problem we are unhappy about is exactly about how such breakdowns are handled and the attitude of those in charge

 

As this non local citizen highlighted. Info is quickly available when a breakdown occurs in Japan.

 

Here a DJ is censored for informing the public before the company gets to release prepare a statement. Twitter account that was just set up after the first major breakdown to function as an quick information source was originally intended to function only until 6pm(!??)

 

This shows the attitude of SMRT management... And now, cable ties to fix rail problems!?? What next? Handiplast?

 

 

[Jamesc]

I think the poster fails to understand the difference between the cause of the train disruptions.

 

If a train in Japan is disrupted because of weather like typhoon or tsunami etc, I don't think anyone will complain.

 

In Spain where people strike to fight for better work conditions and renumeration, people understand and won't complain.

 

But if a train service was disrupted because proper checks and maintenance was not carried out then people complaining is understandable.

 

And this once in 24 years is sheer nonsense.

 

I have driven without accident for 24 years and if I failed to have my brakes checked and it failed and I knocked down Samson Gurly Lee and he broke his leg, will he say to me

 

Its ok since you only have an accident every 24 years?

 

[Expertz]

are you even sure that this is the only 1 single breakdown?

if i don't remember wrongly SMRT was fined a couple of times previously for breakdowns and delays, i remember that i personally questioned why are they fining SMRT over such matters when these fines will simply be passed on to the consumer later

[2BDriver]

Your tracks are really well covered... Most of the men were tracked down by wife and they breakdown and cried many years ago.

I'm into my 18 years next year...

Super golfer, thanks for your reminder, my claws never drop-off for evidence, so far so good with "no track records".

Sometime nearly get caught, but with little lucks blessed in narrow escapes

[Jamesc]

What I would really like to do is stick Samson Gurly Lee in a train

 

packed full of people and leave him to rot in a hot, airless train

 

and leave him gasping for air and then see if he complains.

 

But I understand this would be really cruel

 

to the other passangers who have to stuck with him.

 

 

 

[KARTer]

his mindset, his clear educated background and finally his past. I dont know about you but I have never lived in spain or japan for extended periods and none of my friends have

Do leaders in Jap/Spain keep beating the drums and shout "We are World Class" while collecting world highest pays?

 

Are leaders in Jap/Spain intolerant of their people making protests (even verbal ones) and proclaiming regularly that they have the best talents in their midst and the common people must be told what to do and not question their absolute authorities? If the rulers are intolerant and boastful, the people will react in the ways we see now.

 

Some of Spain/Jap's trains are very old.... ours? less than 30yrs+....

 

Spain/Jap have vast network of trains, ours?.... just about 140km all in on the tiny island (meaning a small network to maintain)

 

The Lee has to check his brain in IMH at Spain tomorrow before it degenerates to that of a swain......

Edited December 20, 2011 by KARTer

[KARTer]

Super golfer, thanks for your reminder, my claws never drop-off for evidence, so far so good with "no track records".

Sometime nearly get caught, but with little lucks blessed in narrow escapes

how you manage to hide your tail so well?

[Sosaria]

Ha ha... another 'undercover' writer. Someone should run a background check to see if this letter writer is somehow linked to the establishment, or the company.

 

As some people have already argued, it is not that we expect a "perfect" train system. Train systems in other parts of the world break down often; take the NY subway system, for example.

 

But in those countries, the break downs do NOT result in a total paralysis... they have parallel lines, and/or parallel routes served by other modes of public transport such as buses and trams. Not in Singapore, where the so-called "privatised" public transport is effectively a monopoly that plans routes to maximize profits. Thus, no such thing as parallel lines or parallel modes of transport as a backup! A monopoly would not do that as this would mean diluting their profits and increased costs.

 

So as we have seen here, break down of the MRT system resulted in chaos due to lack of backup modes of travel.

 

Also, while in other countries, the systems are well-prepared to handle crises and emergencies due to the more frequent break downs or disruptions... SMRT was totally caught unaware and "pants down"!!

[KARTer]

My 26 years old marriage record consider or not ? LOL

Mine longer by a bit....... we can do a joint application for being 'counted'....

[Tigerwoods]

Super golfer, thanks for your reminder, my claws never drop-off for evidence, so far so good with "no track records".

Sometime nearly get caught, but with little lucks blessed in narrow escapes

For me I Golden Basin Wash Hand 3 yrs ago

[KARTer]

 

Edited December 20, 2011 by KARTer

[Tigerwoods]

Mine longer by a bit....... we can do a joint application for being 'counted'....

You longer abit arh ? Got kena caught by your wifey ? Did you cover your tracks as well as Fongmy ?

I think he mumum outside but never Ta pao one.