Government could take lead to add public transport capacity
-
Now that Cheongsam-wearing Lim Hwee Hua is practicing her tai-chi outside of Parliament, we have a wider government role in transport.
More rides ahead for commuters
SINGAPORE - The Government could take the lead in adding greater capacity to the transport system, rather than leaving it solely to the operators.
Speaking at the start of tunnelling work for Downtown Line 2 (DTL2) at the Beauty World Station, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew signalled that there could be a change in the Government's approach.
Said Mr Lui: "My feel is that ... we probably are adding capacity for trains and buses not ahead of demand, maybe not even in tandem with demand. If left to the operators alone, I think they will take a relatively cautious and gradual process."
With the Government's involvement, "we can inject capacity in a very timely fashion - particularly over the next three to four years - before we see the materialisation of Downtown Lines 2 and 3 and future projects", said Mr Lui.
Ramping up the capacity for buses, in particular, is high on his to-do list, as Mr Lui noted that rail projects have "very long" gestation periods, given the complexities involved.
Mr Lui, who took on the portfolio following the unveiling of the new Cabinet less than three weeks ago, pledged that the Government will work more closely with operators to address bottlenecks in the transportation network.
Mr Lui said there could be social costs if the capacity of the public transport system is boosted. <what does he mean by that?> A speedy measure to alleviate transportation woes could include empty buses mid-stream on certain routes, said Mr Lui.
Mr Lui, whose frequent journeys on buses and MRT trains had been caught on camera and uploaded on the Internet, recalled that two Fridays ago, he tried to take a bus during the evening peak hour from the PSA Building.
A very crowded double-decker went by. The next bus, a single-decker, was also very crowded, and he could not board.
"I decided ... to go to HarbourFront, took the North-East Line, went to Dhoby Ghaut, took the Circle Line and reached Dakota where I wanted to go to," he said.
Mr Lui also suggested that more extensive data mining from ez-link cards, so that commuters can know if a bus is full or whether seats are available.
"As a commuter, I would want to know when the bus is coming ... if I can get onto the bus, and whether I can find a seat. We will work with the operators and find ways to make this information available and then you can make a more informed decision," he said.
Mr Lui also disclosed that the public transport operators have yet to submit any proposals for an increase in fares.
The Public Transport Council has said earlier that adjustments, if any, will come into effect at a later date - to coincide with the opening of the last stage of the Circle Line this October.DTL2 tunnelling work to take about 18 monthsTunnelling work for the Downtown Line 2 (DTL2) of the Mass Rapid Transit system started yesterday at Beauty World Station - another significant milestone in the construction of the underground line, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Two tunnel-boring machines will carve out the 1km stretch from the Beauty World Station to the King Albert Park Station as part of the tunnelling process for the 16.6km DTL2. It will take about 18 months for work to be completed, with 19 machines being used concurrently at different locations.
The LTA said the tunnelling will be one of the most challenging phases in the construction of DTL2, due to the varied ground conditions.
When the line is completed, likely by 2015, it will give commuters greater accessibility to Bukit Timah and the city as well as the rest of the island. With connections to existing rail networks through three interchange stations, DTL2 is expected to improve travel time by up to 30 per cent. Saifulbahri Ismail -
What the public want is to bring down the transport fares? Can the new minister do that? I would suggest to open the bus service system ie one own by govt and the other run by private companies. Govt own bus service should subsidised the fares and be non-aircon. Such services should cover the whole of Singapore. The private bus services can charge any fares they like and run parallel to the govt bus services. Therefore, members of the public have a choice, to take govt bus service or the private once. If you can afford than take the private bus services.
-
The key word is control.
And getting a slice of the transport pie.
Private bus services can operate, but must get a permit or licence.
Now about getting that licence, dream on.
-
Originally posted by mancha:
The key word is control.
And getting a slice of the transport pie.
Private bus services can operate, but must get a permit or licence.
Now about getting that licence, dream on.
Only one big organisation comes to mind whenever there are money making opportunities like these.
No prizes for guessing though.
-
yeah!
but can not raise transport fees?
-
Originally posted by Jiani:
yeah!
but can not raise transport fees?
Transport fare increases if any, will come at the end of the year.
-
Originally posted by Jiani:
yeah!
but can not raise transport fees?
Jiani if oil prices rise can transport fees be the same?The problem is inflation rises got people salary the same.
I know tonnes of people in this catagory.
-
But oil prices fall and transport fares rise.
-
some do sound nice by uni prof, but ops wise it wun work
There's human, infrastrcture, traffic issues to sort out 1st
-
Originally posted by alize:
But oil prices fall and transport fares rise.
Is it, but last night I was having dinner with the new joo chiat MP, he said oil price fluctuate, not fall. -
I have a feeling that the so-called add public transport capacity is to take away most of the seats in the buses,so that no matter u are locals or foreigners,young or old,healthy or unhealthy,men or women,handicapped or not,will all be "penalised" to stand throughout the bus journey.Just like what the PAP government did to MRT some yrs ago.
Oh well,this is the so-called PAP elites way of solving problems.....without using their fuking brains.
-
Originally posted by angel7030:
Is it, but last night I was having dinner with the new joo chiat MP, he said oil price fluctuate, not fall.Aiyah,oil price rise they also increase the fares,oil price drop they also increase the fares.You live in Singapore so long still dont know the character of money face PAP ministers meh?
-
They will sell their butts to foreigners to fu-ck as long as they can get million dollars salaries,they dont care about Singaporeans,LKY,LHL n boot licker GCT are well known gays around the world already.
Thats why ppl call them,no LP(no co-cks)
-
Originally posted by angel7030:
Is it, but last night I was having dinner with the new joo chiat MP, he said oil price fluctuate, not fall.http://oil-price.net/
-
Originally posted by Kaizer56:
I have a feeling that the so-called add public transport capacity is to take away most of the seats in the buses,so that no matter u are locals or foreigners,young or old,healthy or unhealthy,men or women,handicapped or not,will all be "penalised" to stand throughout the bus journey.Just like what the PAP government did to MRT some yrs ago.
Oh well,this is the so-called PAP elites way of solving problems.....without using their fuking brains.
you sure or not?The new buses are equally as long at 12m.
It's because of to take in handicapped, the front being low floor, tat's why it took up all the seating potential.
-
Originally posted by sbst275:
you sure or not?The new buses are equally as long at 12m.
It's because of to take in handicapped, the front being low floor, tat's why it took up all the seating potential.
You think transport companies very dumb?
They say more space for handicapped on wheelchairs, but in actual fact, the space is to squeeze more standing people.
How often wheelchair bound people take public transport?
Maybe 1% of all the trips you take, you see someone in wheelchair. The other 99% of the time, people are standing.
-
Originally posted by charlize:
You think transport companies very dumb?
They say more space for handicapped on wheelchairs, but in actual fact, the space is to squeeze more standing people.
How often wheelchair bound people take public transport?
Maybe 1% of all the trips you take, you see someone in wheelchair. The other 99% of the time, people are standing.
looks like your're have not seen it in your own eyes as yet.The wheels needs space to turn and shift out quick. Unless you telling me you want behind 10 buses queueing up? Seeing is believing.
Govt's policy over tis matter, wat to do?
-
there are a lot more social psychological issues for them to resolve on the ground than just doing presentations
-
Need triple decker buses and double long MRT.
-
Originally posted by sbst275:
looks like your're have not seen it in your own eyes as yet.The wheels needs space to turn and shift out quick. Unless you telling me you want behind 10 buses queueing up? Seeing is believing.
Govt's policy over tis matter, wat to do?
Need space is just an excuse,what they want is to "penalise" ppl to stand so that they can squeeze more ppl n cut cost.Its all about saving money to those miser PAP politicians.You live in Singapore so long,still blur like sotong lol.
-
Originally posted by Kaizer56:
Need space is just an excuse,what they want is to "penalise" ppl to stand so that they can squeeze more ppl n cut cost.Its all about saving money to those miser PAP politicians.You live in Singapore so long,still blur like sotong lol.
Tat's where I say abt ppl not willing to compromise. We talk abt graciousness, yet we're not willing to take the issue of wheelchair ppl taking public tpt.As for bus, licensed capacity is 80 as like e older single deck. Only thing, in reality it can carry less now.
The one acting like sotong is you, w/o even knowing the spec of the buses and engineering constraint.
-
I think there's no pt explaining to ppl in SC further actually
The bus is still 12m, as like the older single deck. But in order to make it stepless and wheelchair friendly, the configuration would do nothing but compromise the no of seats available.
The older single deck being stepped and flushed with the engine at the rear or middle allows maximum no of seats being installed.
-
also
sometimes I take a double decker bus... Bus arrived 'packed..
Managed to board squeeze to get to staircase...
Upper deck is totally empty..
Bus packed is nothing but complain, complain, complain.
I think SBS should buy more single deck, save money less fare hike... Let us squeeze like sardine really.
-
govt HAS to take the lead...
-
Originally posted by Kaizer56:
Need space is just an excuse,what they want is to "penalise" ppl to stand so that they can squeeze more ppl n cut cost.Its all about saving money to those miser PAP politicians.You live in Singapore so long,still blur like sotong lol.
Hanor.
You look at mrt carriages too.
All the seats taken out little by little until half the seats are gone.
Please don't tell me the whole carriage is reserved for wheelchair bound commuters.