Public Transportation Condition in Singapore

Singapore is getting more and more crowded. That is an undeniable fact. With more people, and because naturally people do not just stay at home like in the movie Surrogates, they need to move around and travel.

Traffic congestion is therefore one of the major concerns that affects most if not all of the people in Singapore. People who can afford will try to secure own car, and face the problems of COE, ERP and availability of car park. People who cannot afford will need to settle with the public transportation, which one can hardly argue to get better over the time.

Complains are made by members of public, and the authority will have to 'react' or 'respond' to the complains. One wonders why nothing was being done unless someone complained. Should not the government be more proactive? but no, many of the times the rules and regulations are made to deter people from doing certain things and are not necessarily enforced, unless, some accidents happened to alert the authority (or public who complained).

When I traveled in the MRT with my parents who are above 60, the majority of the time I need to ask the people to give up their seats for my parents. There are occasionally some people who gave up their seats for the elderly, and I should say, sometimes the foreigners of different skin colors are doing better job then local Chinese Singaporean.

Perhaps people are just tired after a long day of work, or looking forward to a long day in the office, that they think they deserved their seats in the MRT? or maybe they are thinking, hey if you are so old why you come out during office hours? if you can come out that means you are strong! don't you think just because you got some grey hair, then you are entitled to a seat in the MRT.

The members of Singapore public definitely still lacks the basic courtesy. And I am thinking, if the media and the authority continue to think, or make the people think that they are okay, then things are not going to improve.

e.g.: it is no point showing how courteous people are when getting on a train during 'off-peak' hours, where people know, no matter how slow they enter the train, they will definitely get a seat. Try to put on some footage of people rushing in the train during peak hour, how they s the yellow line, crowds in front of the MRT door, and being proud that they are nearest to the door. Show how bad the situation is, show the ugly side of the people and show it in their face.

Tai Pei is a much crowded city than Singapore, with a much more complex train system, and yet the people are so organized and courteous when boarding the train and so self-prompted to give the priority seats to the elderly and those who needs it.

in the newspaper today, it was portrayed that a pregnant lady was given their seats eight out of eight occasions. The report proudly announced that it was conducted secretly and filmed using hidden camera. I have nothing against such report, except that I am not sure how was the setting of such experiments conducted?

1. Was it conducted during peak hour or off-peak hour?
2. Was it conducted at a busy station or quiet station?
3. Does the lady appears to have a super-visible tummy?

Try to conduct the experiment differently, using an old man who dies his hair (thus appear younger), holding a purple card for the elderly, but having a problem with his legs which is not visible to the people. Try to go to a crowded station during busy hour. Then see how you fare.

Also in the newspaper today, it was mentioned that a minister boarded a bus unannounced to check on the situation of the bus, after some measures were introduced to improve the situation. I applaud such initiative from the minister. I always say that the policy makers are those people who probably never affected by the policy they make. But such gestures are necessary and not other-worldly to do, considering emperors in China also did that in the history.

But again, we do not know when such visit happens. Is it during the 'comfortable' hour? the picture shows that the minister was standing while some other passengers were seating and nodding off. It is apparent that the newspaper is trying to convey a certain message which is up to each reader to make.

Finally, I need to say that such visits from the officials are necessary, and not as what the newspaper says, to check on the result of the new implementation/policy that the authorities just made. Such visits should happen, rather, before and during the day-to-day life, so that the officials can detect any anomaly or problem in the society