SINGAPORE SHORT STORIES

Recently, it seems to me that MRT trains are getting noiser as they enter or exit overhead MRT train platforms. Overhead MRT train platforms were among the first batch of MRT train platforms constructed; subsequently new train stations like the Thomson MRT line are all hidden underground.

Park Byung Joon has written a good opinion piece in yesterday's The Straits Times titled: "Making Public Transport Accountable". In light of the spate of MRT breakdowns and disruptions affecting thousands of commuters every month, many Singaporeans, including myself have called for the nationalisation of the MRT system as this will shift the profit-oriented focus of the MRT operator into a more public-service oriented mode.

Riding on the MRT train can be quite a very unhappy thing for most Singaporeans: overcrowding, no seats, slow moving train, halting movement of the train and some disruptions.

After an old woman and a young lady quarreled fiercely on the MRT, this time it is two uncles fighting on a SBS bus. This time round, as it involved men, there is some real action as you can see later on the video below.

An old  woman quarreled with a young lady in MRT station on Monday 18 Jun 12 around 6.30pm. I watched the youtube video clip embedded below and I think the old auntie was not happy that the young lady gave up seat to her only after sometime and after some "staring" as alleged by the old lady.

It was reported that a man has fallen into the gap between the train and the platform, this incident came right after a woman has similarly found herself trapped in the platform gap.If I am correct, the width of the platform gap has not changed (aka increased) since the commencement of MRT services in Singapore and hence why is there an increasing number of people finding themselves stuck in the platform gap?

Minister Lui Tuck Yew said yesterday he is "gravely concerned" about the recent spate of MRT breakdowns last week. While Minister Lui is "gravely concerned", I have already given up on our local MRT system and have accepted the poor quality of MRT train delivery as a part of the "new normal". I think Mr Lui can fine the SMRT authorities and ask them to do reports after reports, but it will not solve the problem. The only way for Mr Lui to solve the whole MRT breakdowns is to have a nationalization of the MRT system as I have shared in my post earlier.

There was a recent incident in which a commuter on a SMRT train found himself/herself scalded by an unknown liquid on the seat he/she has taken. Today, as I entered the MRT train, I and some commuters were shocked to see a small patch on blood on a seat. I took the vacant seat next to this stained seat.

SMRT lady CEO Saw Phaik Hwa Resigns! This is expected after the recent spate of MRT breakdowns. Saw Phaik Hwa's  resignation is good for commuters who have to endure overcrowding, breakdowns, no giving up of reserved seats, MRT trains which travel slowly. I believe SMRT CEO Saw Phaik's Hwa resignation is long overdue! I believe commuters expect better service from the new incoming SMRT CEO and hence the new SMRT CEO will be coming onto a hot seat!

I believe there is one lesson which could be drawn from the recent spate of MRT breakdowns which is worth sharing and that is “Fast is not always Fast”. The MRT train which is supposed to be a quick medium of transport for commuters is not necessary the fastest medium for our country as we have seen in recent weeks: this form of transport in our country always break down or the train is always overcrowded which causes passengers to spend time waiting for the next train with more boarding space.   Similarly, our expressways which are supposed to be effective conduits to bring traffic from one part of the island to the other parts can be jammed at times too.

I felt sad to read that a woman fell in SMRT bus and went into a coma after that. This incident marked a string of not so good incidents which has plagued MRT since last week. First, there was a SMRT bus which went on a "destination-free" journey with its passengers for 2 hours as the bus lost its way. Next, there were 3 disruptions to the MRT services- 1 on the Circle Line and 2 on the North-South Line (I think I need not elaborate further on these incidents as they are by now old news already). After these incidents, a cleaner fell while cleaning at a MRT Station and was injured.

I would rate Mr Lui Tuck Yew's management of SMRT train services breakdown as B+. I find it good that Mr Lui went into full steam the full investigation of the breakdown since touching down in Singapore from a meeting in Cambodia. He personally was on the ground and I think it is laudable that he asked for a halt in train services to investigate thoroughly what the fault is with the train services.

When the North South MRT services breakdown two days ago, I thought that we should still give SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa some time to consider whether she will be resigning from her position as CEO of SMRT. However, when the MRT services broke down yet again early this morning, I was thinking whether it is a sign that Saw Phaik Hwa should step down. In the evening, when Prime Minister Lee intervened personally into this matter, visiting LTA HQ from his leave to understand more about the matter, I am almost certain that Ms Saw Phaik Hwa will be resigning soon.

My family and I were out in town this evening on the day when Singaporeans are still grappling with the shock and disappointment with our MRT System. After our outing, when we walked to the MRT station, we saw the sign: "MRT Services to start 10 am tomorrow". When we read this notice, we were shocked, as we thought that the MRT system is breaking down the 4th time this week, but we still saw a lot of passengers walking up the escalators to take the train!

MRT services between Ang Mo Kio and Marina Bay Stations break down and were disrupted this morning, just 2 days after a similar breakdown occured on the North-South Line affecting thousands of passengers! This is unacceptable! Already, many Singaporeans are calling Ms Saw, CEO of SMRT who earn millions of dollars per year to step down as ordinary Singaporeans like me who just earn a modest salary and who have to rely on MRT services as a means to get to our destinations are really finding it very troublesome that our routines are often affected by breakdown in MRT services.

North South MRT Line breakdown here in Singapore close to 8pm! At this time of writing, the train services have yet to be restored. Thousands of passengers were trapped in the trains, with many saying that there is total darkness as the electricity supplies seemed to be cut off, according to Channel NewsAsia. It is just too much shock and troublesome for the thousands of passengers trapped in the sardine-packed trains, especially so for the elderly and the weaker passengers who may not be able to withstand the stuffiness of being trapped with thousands of passengers in close proximity. Ladies may also be molested. This North South MRT line breakdown came on the heels of a disruption in morning service of the Circle Line yesterday and a bus which took its passenger for a "destination-free"2 hour journey on Tuesday.

Despites the millions of dollars pumped into increasing the railways of our MRT network, I think there is no improvement at all in the system as the increased coverage still fails to meet the huge travelling demand of passengers.

The overcrowding of Singapore MRT trains seems not to be getting any better. I list down the improvement SMRT should do or should have done: a) SMRT has built the first MRT train stations above ground. I think SMRT should have built, right from the start, all train stations underground like in Hong Kong. Singapore is a small country and building train stations above ground is wasting precious land. Also if no train stations are built above ground, then can people jumping down the tracks at these stations without safety barriers (which are introduced only lately) be avoided?

With an increasing ageing of Singapore’s population and overcrowding on the MRT trains and juxtaposed on these two trends, the nonchalant attitude of MRT passengers towards giving up seats to those who need them more, I can imagine 30 years down the road, there will be many elderly passengers standing on trains.

The Circle Line Discovery Open House is poorly planned. To be a part of the Circle Line Open House, I started the train from Paya Lebar MRT station, a station on the Circle Line, only to be told that the train would stop at Marymount when the train reached Marymount. I alighted and inquired a SMRT official on how to get to the 12 new Circle Line MRT stations . He told me and a number of frustrating passenger who were also trying to experience the new stations that we had to go to either Harborfront or Buona Vista to get on to the train ride that will take us to the new Circle Line MRT stations. I was shocked!