Tuesday, September 9, 2008 19:58
PTW Week: World class service?
In Andrew Loh, Main Stories, Top Story • 863 views • 17 Comments
Service – people, passion and purpose. These are what will make our transport system world class.
Andrew Loh / Deputy Editor
The focus point for TOC’s Public Transport Week is the idea of a world class transport system. This is the aim of the Government, as declared by ministers and the prime minister himself.
Thus, it is by this standard that we should judge and scrutinize the issue.
To be fair, over the years the Government has announced plans designed to achieve this – focusing its effort on infrastructure improvements to give better access to trains and buses. These include expanding the rail network, constructing the Circle Line and the Downtown Line, integrating bus interchanges with shopping malls and introducing the bus lanes idea.
It has also allowed bus services to run parallel to MRT lines, punishing transport companies with heftier fines for non-compliance with certain service standards, having the Land Transport Authority take over as the central bus planner from 2009, and increasing bus and train frequencies, among many other measures.
Thus, it is hard to fault the Government and accuse it of being oblivious to the needs and problems faced by commuters. Indeed, the Government should be commended for its effort. So, why aren’t Singaporeans jumping with joy but instead seem to have even more complaints?
One reason could be that dissatisfaction is actually with the transport companies and not with the Government – but because the Government is so invested in the issue that Singaporeans, perhaps, feel they are one and the same. This is, of course, not without good reasons, as we shall see in Thursday’s article here on TOC.
Grouses
There are many areas where Singaporeans feel service is nowhere near world class. Anyone who uses public transport will tell you about the over-crowding, the jam-packed trains which now appears to extend beyond peak hours, the long waiting periods for buses in certain areas of Singapore, the difficulties handicapped people face, especially in taking buses, dirty and stuffy buses especially when it rains and even complaints about how children above a certain height are being discriminated against when they use public transport. Indeed, there are many grouses. My personal beef is with TV Mobile which I find to be a total and utter nuisance! I wish they’d just pull the plug on that damn thing!
And the biggest complaint and source of endless frustration throughout the years has been the ever-increasing fares – which run parallel to the ever-increasing (record) profits of the service providers.
Though some of the above complaints or unhappiness may seem trivial or even petty, one must remember that it is the daily experience of each individual commuter which will determine if the system is world class. The shiniest trains or buses and the expert engineering which goes into constructing the stations and interchanges do not necessarily make the system one.
This is where the Government and transport companies should pay more attention – in the level and quality of service of public transport. It is no use to keep repeating that we aim to be the best in the world in ferrying people from Point A to Point B, or to say that transport companies need to make profits in order to stay afloat. Every Singaporean already knows that. What they’re looking for is better service.
While infrastructure is indisputably important, service is perhaps what will assuage the anger and frustration of commuters when they experience the shortcomings of public transport in their daily commute.
Blinded
For example: to take a bus at night and then have the frustration of trying to determine where you are by looking through the glass windows or panels which are plastered with advertisements obscuring your vision. TOC reader Kiss Dani wrote to us about this. “These screens limit what we can see from inside the busses. Imagine looking out for block numbers through these screens,” he said. “Often, I have missed stops because of them.”
It is experiences like this which makes commuters view the transport companies as money-sucking monsters – blindly chasing profits and blinding commuters in the process. If customers were treated as valued clients, the first thing the management would do is to see how such placement of advertisements would affect its customers.
It is in the daily experience of each individual commuter which determines if the system is world class.
Put people first – always
So, how can service be improved? Well, it must start with the recognition that each individual is a treasured customer – and not a lemming which needs to be carried from one spot to another in the shortest possible time. The importance is in the experience of the journey and not in how short the journey should be per se (which seems to be the pre-occupation of the authorities), though that is also desirable, of course.
Here are a few suggestions, made with the perspective that each commuter is a treasured customer, which perhaps can be considered in this respect. Lets start with those who face the most difficulties in using public transport – children, elderly, and the handicapped.
- Allow children who aren’t of school-going age to travel for free and not base their fares on how tall or short they are.
- Remove the concession conditions for the elderly to travel at all times of the day, instead of limiting them to certain hours in order to enjoy concession. Isn’t our government encouraging Singaporeans to work as long as they can and till as old as they are? In any case, limiting our elderly to certain hours of travel if they’re on concession smacks of disrespect, really. Especially when we are an ageing population.
- Install hydraulic ramps or platforms for handicapped persons to board buses easily. Some countries already do this, I understand. London, for example.
- Remove advertisements on the glass panels of buses. It obscures one’s vision, especially at night.
- Remove TV Mobile so that commuters can travel in peace in the morning and have some peace after a day’s work at the office.
- Have station staff provide a hand to elderly people when it rains or when a train breaks down for a long time or when something unexpected happens. Ask them if they need help and see to their needs. Lets see some real faces in our stations.
- Have train drivers greet commuters over the speakers in the morning and evening. This could be done in the station as well, over the speakers. It costs nothing.
- (This is one which I personally hope will be implemented.) The Public Transport Council will either open its deliberations or minutes of its meeting to the public OR hold free public forums for members of the public to voice their opinions before increasing fares! Why are all PTC deliberations so secretive? Where is the people’s voice in all of it? Does the PTC value Singaporeans and their opinion?
At the end of the day, treating commuters as treasured customers (which they are and should be viewed as) is what makes the system world class. Just ask Singapore Airlines. There must be a genuine interest in wanting to do so. Service through artificial gimmicks, such as giving away discount breakfast (the real aim: to alleviate the over-crowding in the early hours), makes one feel cheap – and even cheated. (“If they have so much money to give out free or discounted breakfast sets, why the need to increase fares?” a friend asked me.) Not a treasured customer at all.
People. Passion. Purpose.
Treat people as valued clients or customers.
Staff, especially the top people in the companies, must have a passion for genuine service.
Transport companies must realize that their purpose is public service – and not reaping profits from the public.
The 3 P’s : Providing genuine service to people as their main purpose and passion, our transport companies will gain much public praise.
Only then will they be truly world class.
So, my message to Mr Gerard Ee, Chairman of the PTC, is that it is not a matter of whether the fare increase is 3% or 1.8% or that “it is still affordable”. It is a question of whether the transport companies’ service standards justify any increase at all!
Mr Ee and the PTC should ask themselves if the service commuters experience daily is world class – before they approve another round of hikes with the usual dismissive “it is still affordable” routine come October 1st.
The PTC too should remember that it should serve people first.
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17 Comments
Victor
now only 4.something million,already so much pp…STill want to be until 6million pp stay in sing..
is it CRAZY???
hai…THEY JUST don understanding our feeling….
vote is impt,vote will awake them,,
stand up,singaporeans!!
6.5 mill to swallow
To be bluntly blunt, with currently number of people in spore, I am already feeling overcrowded.
Let action speak louder than words :
Have you been to :
1. PC Show?
2. Used our roads each morning , evening?
3. Go to Orchard Road?
Just open your eyes, and take a look.
Enjoy more good years.
Sometime say Swiss standard, othertimes say Sweden Standard.
Is your pay 1st world?
I see that many hdb playground exercise equipment imported from China.
I also see China’s housing have excellent exercise equipment for its people.
Spore, please catch up. 1st world leh.
Coincidentally, China only woken up about a couple of decades only. Younger than spore. Look at China. Wonderful.
Turtle
I actually take the train and a bus (a longer and more expensive route) to get to school because the direct bus service which plies the same route is plagued by TVMobile, lol. It’s really stressful to listen to noise for an hour, twice daily.
Daniel
“Service – people, passion and purpose. These are what will make our transport system world class.”
But our gahmen think otherwise. Instead of 3p, they have 3m which they believe work for them yesterday, today and tomorrow.
“Service – money, money and money. These are what will make our transport system world class.”
Greed of money not only make transport world-class but also world-class kangaroo court and MonkeyPeople. Money can buy their conscience and moral authority.
I do not blame the govt for the lousy transport service but it is the uselss two companies running the business like shit and still want to make money with no intention of offering value to the commuters. I personally emailed feedbacks but got delayed reluctant response. Here are some hopeless and good for nothing service now in existence. (1) Bus Captains reaching bus stop suddenly often apply brake and let go and everybody standing willl be off balance or accidentally make contact with others. Female commuters would be disadvantaged and you know what I mean..(?).Unintentionally touched !
When the packed like sardines trains arrived at the station, commuters cannot see the station signboard because they are blocked with bodies..left..right..and front or back. You must open your ears and listen to the announcements but in a situation where body contact is easier done than said, you are on the look out to avoid being cheapened. The announcements of the next station are made only when the trains moves away or nearing.
While cant we have small lighted stations blink- lighted above the door or mid-section as they do so with similar trains in Hong Kong ! Sacrifice one or two advertisements revenue to provide better service. I once wrote feedback about Busés and received an email about SMRT fare. My reply to it was “the staff is barking up the wrong tree ! ” I have given up providing feedbacks with such idiotic professionals working in the public transport supplier.
There is a phrase which people love to say….”Let them hand themselves lah”
Vote for PAPaya but not Our Transport System.
ObamaOsama
RH: I have a fairly comprehensive article on public transport at :
http://i-came-i-saw-i-solved-it.blogspot.com/search/label/Public%20transport%20another%20SCAM%20by%20LIE%20KY
of the points you raised, I full agree with providing round-the-clock concession for elderly and removing adverts on windows. I really don’t see the need for HUGE adverts that has to cover the whole bus… just “waist down” will do.
Also, I’m always of the opinion that elderlies must be respected, regardless of race, language, religion and social class. Afterall, most if not all of them has contributed to the success of Singapore in one way or another.
I still think TV mobile should stay but remove the speakers. It’s not difficult to get a FM receiver (handphones have it!) So that those who really wanted to watch can put on their earphones while the rest do not get disturbed.
Ministar
If we had a REAL world class transport system, how come we don’t see the ministers taking the train to work ?
If its so good to pass off, would anyone give it a miss ??
The world class std as defined by the govt may not be the real std as experienced by the people. My son travelled to NUS by bus PIE (TP) He complained that the bus is rickety and in bad shape, It is often crowded and not consistent in schedule. He frequently travelled to Orchard road and found that the buses over there are newer and more frequent. Why the double stds.? The citizens pay the same amt of bus fares and not susidized right?
My complain is why did the MRT collects extra dollar from the commuter when they pay cash for a single journey(w/out ez link card) and only refund it at the end of the journey. This is stupid and devious in nature(hoping that the person will forget the refund) This is definetly not world class. It is a waste of time and oversused the ticketing machine.
Bye Andrew and good night!
korek2korek
I don’t understand all the fuss about work class against which we must judge as asserted by this article. What for? Why are we so obsessed with judging?
The real issue is do we have a decent public transport by any standard, subjective or otherwise? In what ways it can be improved?
if we look back some 20 years ago, how has our public transport changed? Has it gone down the drain? Has it improved? Can it be better at a pace that people can adapt to?
Instead of juding how far short it is, why not ask how far more it should go , knowing well that the faster it goes, there are those who just want a decent basic public transport, at a pace they are comfortable with.
Ho Pinkie
1) Vacuum State on September 9th, 2008 8.42 pm
Can we make it compulsory that all the members of the PTC take public transport twice a week? Once during the weekday, another during weekends.
If they refused, they are removed from the PTC.
—————–
You mean they should WALK THE TALK ?
I no idea man.
Singapore is tiny town, actually cycle to work is green and hip like hiphop.
Maybe its possible. I oso wanna see them cycle to work because singaporeans many are followers. They will do when shown how to or instructed to do so. Some are leaders oso lah. a few percent lor. So, leaders should lead by example.
I oso like to talk leh. I like to say, world peace! I like to say, tear down these walls! I like to say, lets live in peace and harmonious all night long.
I like to say, more good years!
I like to say, mee siam sometimes if you luckie got juicy hum.
I like to say, if you pay high high, no corruption wan. People hunger for weath got limit wan.
I like to say, Terrorism is easy to solve.
I like to say, everyone will live long long and not die living beyond 89 so work long long lah.
I like to say, BE HUNGRY and FEEL MORE HUNGRY. Its good for you.
I like to say, 1st world salary will drive MNCs to ho-lahnd.
I like to say, while oil price lowers, hiked price might not ler. Cheem hor?
regards
Mr Ho Pinkie
World Record TK King
loop
Taxis are part of public transport. Should they not be make cheaper too. Maybe taxi drivers should be made to take a regular pay like those of bus drivers.
Victor
hai,,feel like shit…
NOW oil $ does down,whY the petrol station still remain so high,,,
GOV is it want to earn money to us??
don act le lah.dare to say out lah.. always like tat want,,,
TAKEcare of us..??.
makes me feel like _L_!!! !!!!!
pugdragon
The only times I feel peaceful & really comfortable in the train are when there aren’t much people in the train. I really enjoy the room & space. However, those times were found a few years ago during off-peak hours. I can’t even enjoy this serenity these days during off-peak hours.
I am really disgusted at how our ruler welcomes tonnes of foreigners to come here to improve the economy for more moolah, vastly increasing overpopulation, & of course, the frustrations that come along with it.
Unfortunately, & quite obviously, the overpopulation problem spilled over & led to crowded public transport, & it doesn’t look like PTC is doing well to tackle this problem & deserve a price hike in fares.
I noticed during super peak-hours like in the morning, trains come in frequency of 2 or 4 minutes. I was doped into thinking that the next train which comes just 2 minutes after the 1st crowded train would be quite empty & comfortable. But no! I got a bloody rude shock to see streams of lemmings in the 2nd train, identical to that of the 1st train!
If 2 minutes frequency between trains ain’t enough to make our rides more roomy, something is seriously wrong. The size of our country isn’t made to hold so many people. It’s so wrong, it’s satanic!
Chuying’s 18th Birthday yo « Zyhsim blogs
[...] Exerpt from (1) [...]
Linus
This is what i wrote to the PTC, LTA, Transport Minister Raymond Lim etc… And their unhelpful replies. For your info and comments please.
Dear Sir,
For your info.
With salutations,
Linus
—– Forwarded Message —-
From: Linus chew
To: Public Transport Council
Sent: Wednesday, 12 November 2008 10:05:50
Subject: Re: Feedback on PTC Members
Dear Madam Jane Lee,
Thank you for your reply. I would like to the remind the PTC council members to be objective in their views regarding looking after the interest of public transport operators. As land is limited for roads building in Singapore, having a world-class public transport system that is a comfortable and viable way to commute is VITAL for a less congested road. As being all drivers themselves, they should know better than to ‘push’ people to taking taxis or buying a car to commute. They are literally shooting themselves in the foot.
Still, this does not absolve them from knowing and analyzing the ground situations of everyday commuters. Have they taken a feeder bus service along with a train or another bus to their destination (how long it takes to arrive)? Do they know what commuters are complaining daily about to the bus and train operators? Are there temperature controls on the buses and trains (back sweating hot or freezingly cold)? Is ventilation even an issue with commuters? Have they taken public transport during peak hours? Do they know some buses takes 15-20 mins to arrive during evening peak hours in the city (I know this as a fact)? These are the questions I hope they have discussed and analyzed long and hard on. From what I see now, I seriously doubt they have. If they need me (a nobody) to tell them this, they are not doing their job!
Thank you.
With salutations,
Linus
From: Public Transport Council
To: Linus chew
Cc: mot
Sent: Tuesday, 11 November 2008 6:41:29
Subject: Re: Feedback on PTC Members
Dear Linus,
We have noted your opinion and preferences.
Actually, there are currently 4 representatives from the labour unions and civil service in the 16-member Council. In addition, there are also 2 representatives from grassroots’ organisations. We believe that the composition of the Council does facilitate a representation of diverse views, notwithstanding that they may or may not own private cars. Please be assured that there are already members who do speak up strongly for commuters – adults, students, senior citizens, the needy, etc.
Like any decision-making, there are bound to be competing demands and preferences. The Council cannot simply take side with the operators or solely go along with individual preferences of the commuters. The Council has to consider all relevant concerns, examine all implications, take a balanced view, make judgement calls and decide independently, however difficult the decisions may be. This the Council has done since 1987.
If you wish to know more about the working of the PTC, please do visit our website at http://www.ptc.gov.sg.
Thank you.
Jane Lee
for Secretary
Public Transport Council
cc MOT
—– Original Message —–
From: Linus chew
To: Public Transport Council
Cc: Raymond_LIM@mot.gov.sg
Sent: Friday, November 07, 2008 1:16 PM
Subject: Re: Feedback on PTC Members
Dear Madam Jane,
With all due respect, having just one(1) member, out of 15 members that does not own a car, is not a logical and statistically sound arrangement. Do you honestly tell me that the rest of the 14 members actually will forgo their cars to take our overcrowded, infrequent and inefficient public transport? Moreover, they will actually crowd and squeeze with rude and uncouth smelly foreign workers in the enclosed bus and train cabins? Or walk 5-10 minutes in the sun and rain to the bus stop/train station? And wait and waste another 20 minutes of their precious time for a bus? I think not! I am sure any intelligent Singaporean citizen will not too! Even if you can somehow magically convince me they do, they cannot be taking public transport for more than once a week in my estimate.
Your examples of the PTC’s ‘looking after’ daily public transport commuters, pales in comparison with the hundreds of million dollars of profit the operators made every year.
Based on the above, please will the chairman of PTC’s council consider worker’s union members or civil servants who are lower middle class or who can’t afford to own a car as 1 or 2 more members in the council? They can be of good “competency, good public standing and experience” also.
Thank you for your time.
With salutations,
Linus
From: Public Transport Council
To: Linus chew
Cc: mot
Sent: Thursday, 6 November 2008 4:56:35
Subject: Re: Feedback on PTC Members
Dear Linus,
I refer to your email on 30 Oct 08.
The 16 Council Members (including Chairman) are appointed on the basis of http, especially their ability to contribute effectively to PTC’s deliberations on issues relating to public transport. We agree with you that decision-makers should travel by public transport to know the ground situation. Contrary to common perception, Council Members commute by public transport regularly and they do have first-hand experiences as commuters themselves. In fact, one of our Council Members does not even have a car and his family relies entirely on public transport. Given their experience/expertise in public transport operation, there are instances when the Council has disagreed with the operators and rejected their proposals. For example, the PTC recently did not go along with the operators and had instead set stretched targets in the new quality of service standards for basic bus services for their compliance. This year the PTC made the operators bear more of the increase transfer rebate (making them to forgo $30 million every year henceforth) than they had proposed. Last year, the PTC even rejected operators’ proposals to increase train fares.
We hope this clarifies.
Thank you.
Jane Lee
for Secretary
Public Transport Council
cc MOT
—– Original Message —–
From: Linus chew
To: mot@mot.gov.sg ; ptc@www.ptc.gov.sg ; talk2lta@www.lta.gov.sg
Cc: janice_quah@mot.gov.sg ; soffy_hariyanti@mot.gov.sg ; laura_chua@mot.gov.sg ; neo_lay_yiing@mot.gov.sg
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 11:53 AM
Subject: Issue of Composition of Public Transport Council members
Dear Sir/Madam,
I would like to see the Public Transport Council members to be comprised of non-car owners, either private or company-owned. This is to ascertain that they fully and logically looks after the interest of daily public transport commuters that they represent.
The way I see the 15 members now is, although they come from diverse backgrounds, I do not see them as middle-class or lower-middle class to be non car owners. There are lawyers, senior directors and professors in the council. It will be far fetched to ‘claim’ that they are regular public transport users!
The ministry of transport has been avoiding this issue that has been brought up, time and again, in the media and the forums. It is time it addresses this in a timely and appropriate manner.
With salutations,
Linus Chew
Can we make it compulsory that all the members of the PTC take public transport twice a week? Once during the weekday, another during weekends.
If they refused, they are removed from the PTC.
Can we extend this to the Ministers and senior bureucrats?