Comments on: Transport fares not linked to oil prices? Really?

By: Scholar

Scholar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:53:56 +0000

The Only Minister on Earth who claim Transport fares not linked to oil prices.
And Why S’pore Govt still hire him?

This is becos $$ is needed to pay the Ministers HIGH salaries….

By: kelly

kelly — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:46:46 +0000

P.S> @ #154 Sting Ray Lim is right!

By: kelly

kelly — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:45:35 +0000

Directly or indirectly linked it does not change the fact that public transportation and petrol costs have increased. No amount of smoke ((or mirrors) can change facts.

By: Smart Accounting

Smart Accounting — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 07:43:00 +0000

They (the Gang of 3 = father, son and daughter-in-law) cannot lower any profits from those GIC-linked and Terma-sick companies that are making profits. Because they have to do smart accounting to look good for the yearly reports.

So, in order to make up for the huge losses make by a maniac who went on a global buying-spree by throwing away our good money for those bad banks and big businesses, profits from local companies must continue to rise.

That is what the Sting Ray Lim was saying.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:32:40 +0000

I would just like to raise an query on SMRT and ComfortDelGro (which owns SBSTransit): To what extent to they belong to the SG Govt?

By name, they are “private companies”, but from some lazy wikipedia research, the SG Govt has a huge stake in SMRT (54%) via Temasek Holdings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temasek_Holdings‘_investments

Wouldn’t there be a conflict of interest since fares are “governed” by the PTC, a government body, if profits eventually would (partially) accrue to the govt too?

Just raising up a possible scenario yep. Cos things aren’t particularly transparent sometimes.

By: Bong Liu Lian

Bong Liu Lian — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:14:16 +0000

heres a nice article by Seah Chiang Nee comparing Singapore and Taipeh MRT
http://www.littlespeck.com/content/development/CTrendsDev-081230.htm

excerpts:

Tracking the MRTs

Singapore population: 4.6m
Length of MRT: 109.4km
No. of MRT stations: 66
No of MRT lines: five
Average daily ridership: 1.56m
Average ticket price: S$1.00
Average trip distance: 11.2km
Total passenger-trip distance
(passengers times km traveled) annually: 5,714.5km
Average daily train runs: Just over 1,000

Taipei population: 5.5m
Length of MRT: 74.7km
No. of MRT stations: 69
No of MRT lines: eight
Average daily ridership: 1.14m
Average ticket price: NT21.9 (S$1.00)
Average trip distance: 7.9km
Total passenger-trip distance
(passengers times km traveled) annually: 3,298.9km
Average daily train runs: 2,171

By: lle

lle — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 22:48:12 +0000

As for Minister’s remarks on “no direct link between the oil price and the transport fare”, let’s look at the matter from a more positive side. Perhaps at the point of the decision made, the link between oil price and transport fare was intentionally not linked so that the public would not have to pay more when the oil price increased. This is a good intention of the Authority. However, the issue has taken a turn beyond anybody’s prediction. The oil price is now heading south. Let’s take his words but the Authority must ensure that there will be no transport fare increase when the oil price has gone up in the future.

My view is that eventhough they are now operated by private companies, Government ought to subsidize public transport fares to a certain extend as the fares are rather high nowdays. Like health services, public transport is essential for all people especially the lower income groups who cannot afford to have cars. So, the fares should be pegged at a comfortable level where all Singaporeans could afford. This is what is being done in many countries and this also shows that the Government cares for the people.

By: patriot

patriot — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:53:36 +0000

Commonsense is invalid in a society rule by decree, it is the words of your rulers that count.

Modern day imperialism is professionally executed with a touch of pseudo democracy aka ‘consultative rule’.

patriot

By: mypay

mypay — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:16:52 +0000

If my pay is linked to the highest paid bosses, my natural instinct would be to use my power to influence the situation so that the bosses would make as much money as possible. The low income people who take buses and MRT’s have got nothing to do with my pay, do they?

By: JadedCitizen

JadedCitizen — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:09:29 +0000

This is so insulting given that Singaporeans are generally more educated now when compared to our pioneering generations. Yet, they still assume we’ve no common sense by saying things like that.

Even if given the benefit of a doubt, and he meant otherwise, the way the message was conveyed is wrong and blatantly misleading.

Very disappointing. Almost shameless.

By: tiredsingaporeans

tiredsingaporeans — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:27:52 +0000

146) Angered Sigh on December 29th, 2008 9.55 pm
I wonder how they will answer when oil prices rise again in the future. The future is unpredictable and maybe oil prices will shoot up higher than $140. They will have a tough time justifying their actions when they attempt to raise fares again.

Don’t worry, they will justify themselves in time to come, what’s new with these MIW, nothing but only knows how to screw the people time and again all these years.

By: Angered Sigh

Angered Sigh — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:55:47 +0000

I wonder how they will answer when oil prices rise again in the future. The future is unpredictable and maybe oil prices will shoot up higher than $140. They will have a tough time justifying their actions when they attempt to raise fares again.

By: JUSTINVIN

JUSTINVIN — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:25:13 +0000

DIESEL AT ITS PEAK IN JULY 2008 COST $2.00 PER LITRE
TODAY DIESEL COST $1. 24 PER LITRE
DIFFERENCE IS ALMOST 75 CENTS OR 35 %.
ONE MILLION LITRES A DAY BRINGS DOWN COST TO $750 K
10 DAYS $7.5 MILLION FOR OPERATORS.
100 DAYS $ 75 MILLION FOR OPERATORS
365 DAYS – $260 MILLION FOR SHARE HOLDERS THANKS TO RAYMOND LIM !!

Visit petrolwatch @ .com.sg

By: Sadder

Sadder — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 04:00:36 +0000

Yes I believe him. Transport fares are not linked to oil prices, government appointment are not linked to talent and Ministers salary is not linked to their performance. If it were true than we will have to lower the transport fares, fire some officials including MPs who handle the TC funds and finally we would have to sack a few Ministers. So the moral of the story is that nothing is linked to anything, except your HDB upgrading works to elections

By: Sadder

Sadder — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 04:00:01 +0000

Yes I believe him. Transport fares are not linked to oil proces, government appointment are not linked to talent and Ministers salary is not linked to their performance. If it were true than we will have to lower the transport fares, fire some officials including MPs who handle the TC funds and finally we would have to sack a few Ministers. So the moral of the story is that nothing is linked to anything, except your HDB upgrading works to elections

By: SZ

SZ — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:30:27 +0000

Hi pissed…don’t be so angry….but i thought Raymond was in a walkover GRC? so nobody vote him in.
well,it is true that SGD will continue to be weaken in the coming year, and it is not surprising. to boost export/growth, they will do that and that is at the expense of import and the rising cost of the majority of commodities.

By: Lee Boon Heng

Lee Boon Heng — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 02:23:48 +0000

is it true that
sgd currency to be weakened,
income tax to be raised ?
how about GST ? any hike coming?

will 2009 be worse than 2008?

By: Teo Kueh Liang

Teo Kueh Liang — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:30:42 +0000

I had written a letter to My Paper regarding the issue oil prices which correlate to fare increase and electricity tariff. My article was published today.

By: pissed

pissed — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:59:45 +0000

Raymond Lim already getting a free ride with taxpayers money. We are paying him to talk Co

To top it it all taking PTC side and protecting PTC.

It is all you Singaporean fault for voting for Raymond LIM GRC in the last election. YOU pay for your dumb mistakes.

By: ZZZZZ zzzzzz

ZZZZZ zzzzzz — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:22:45 +0000

Know what are the best stock to buy in a up market or especially during recession in Singapore?

(1) SMRT (2) SBS Transit

Good money to be made from the lower income and the poor.