My view - Public Transport in Singapore

It seems that it is not so rare these days to hear some fellow commuters lament about falling service standards in our public transport system. Trains which are supposed to operate like clockwork, seem to face disruptions more often. What makes it worse is the lack of timely communication.

Last month, I waited for the train at Bukit Batok for about 20 minutes due to a train disruption and only managed to board the 2nd train as the 1st one was bursting at its seams. I lament the inability of the SMRT staff to respond quickly and assist commuters. No announcement was made during my wait – had commuters be informed, those rushing for time could have sought alternative transport. On another occasion, my friend experienced a train breakdown at Yew Tee on 8th August and SMRT only decided after more than 10 minutes to open the train doors for commuters to seek alternative transport. It appears that my friend and I are not the only ones who have
such experiences (http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC100811-0000045/How-are-bus,-train-delays-reported).
 

Meanwhile, the unpredictability of the arrival times and inadequate frequency of buses (and trains) continue to irritate commuters like me, especially during peak hours. Bus bunching is still a common sight and that is provided you can get into the bus to experience it. My favourite IRIS has been increasingly inaccurate – buses arrive earlier than projected, causing commuters like me to miss the bus, or the bus calls at the bus-stop only at the estimated time arrival of the 2nd bus (the bus that was supposed to arrive earlier was phantom).
 

I hope that the public transport operators can improve their service standards.

WRITTEN BY: KHOO CHOON YEN