From Ng E Jay’s blog, sgpolitics:
Why is there such a large discrepancy between the value of contracts awarded to Singapore Technologies Electronics for installation of platform screen doors at SMRT train stations and at Taiwan’s Neihu Line?
It was reported in the Straits Times on 13 Aug that the first sets of platform screen doors had been erected at Pasir Ris MRT station.
Despite repeated calls for platform screen doors to be installed at all above-ground MRT stations to prevent the obvious tragedies, the Government chose to place the lives of commutes second to cost considerations, and agreed to this suggestion only when costs had come down due to the global downturn.
This pussyfooting by the Government resulted in 31 unnecessary deaths in 2007, or around one death every 12 days, as a result of accident or suicide on the MRT tracks.
Read the rest of the article on sgpolitics.
I don’t care how much Singapore or Taiwan paid for the door to be done.
What I care so much as a commuter is that,, there will not be any fare hike after this.
Which I doubt so…….
hi Patriot,
eh, if just to prevent suicides of course not cost effective, simply because there are too many ways to end one’s life. but there was an isolated case where a man push a woman onto the tracks. also, PSDs may prevent people from accidentally falling onto the tracks due to dizziness or drowsiness (after medication?).
yes, i am aware of the danger being caught in the void between the train’s & the platform’s doors. that safety issue may be highlighted to people who tend to take chances & rush into the trains even after the door closing buzzer has sounded. i do not have a robust idea how to discourage rash behaviour as of now, but maybe education is one option to explore?
its fine not to be in the know of technical details, not that i have all the details to any topic. ;) cost of improvement works is one thing but a company’s profit year after year is another. there is no cost too high for train operators, just profit too “low”, lol…
Health and Safety should be the main consideration. The public is entitled to a safe transport system. It should be the responsibility of the government just like law and order. To be a truly First World country, the welfare of its citizen must be looked after by those responsible in government. Another area of interest is the health system which the first world in the West had acheived. Singaporean must open their eyes and speak up for the good of fellow citizen. I do appreciate and understand the dreaded ISA that had been misused against people who speak up.
56) mice is nice
for elevated stations, aircon lost by “piston effect” is not an issue. because elevated stations are non aircon, and the open platform do not create “piston effect”.
in the event of a bomb blast, metal or glass are both equally devastating. Tempered glass will shatter into tiny bits and cause less hurt relative to twisted metal fragments.
////eh, dun bring the topic underground leh, the writer is talking about stations on the ground level like Bishan or stations above ground…/////
my post #53 was in response to some posters who were questioning why PSD was not put in in the first place
It was to help shed some light why PSD were not installed at elevated staions when it was first built, it was not a norm then even for underground stations.
some visuals here for examples-
http://images.google.com.sg/images?gbv=2&hl=en&sa=1&q=new+york+subways+platforms&btnG=Search+images&aq=f&oq=&start=0
57) Daisy
/////////// I don’t care how much Singapore or Taiwan paid for the door to be done.
What I care so much as a commuter is that,, there will not be any fare hike after this.
Which I doubt so……./////////
Cost of retrofitting PSD is borned by govt not SMRT.
But you are right, the fare will go up, PSD or no PSD. If you work for SMRT, you would like to enjoy regular pay rise like everybody else, and that may translate to fare increases.
56) mice is nice
pros of glass PSD (above ground stations):
. more light can pass through, save lighting costs – agree, but cost savings is minimal
. less clustrophobic -agree
. reduce noise (for double layed glass) -agree, double glazing in an open area is not cost effective, however increasing in glazing thickness will help serve as a sound barrier for the passengers standing on the platform, but worse off for those living across the platform as the sound will be deflected outwards.
pros of perforated metal PSD (above ground stations):
. blocks **% of heat during noon – not really, in fact metal will aborb and retain the heat
. lets air flow more freely – agree
. does not shatter – but will become twisted mangled projectiles in a bomb blast, you do not want to be anywhere near that when there is a blast.
. in theory lighter than glass with perforations, less weight, less electricity useage? – weight depends on thickness, no electricity savings as elevatred platform is non aircon, lighting cost saved in minimal
.
… did i miss out any? – we can go on all day, but this is good enough lah
Misuse of funds -> that goes into their paycheck. What order and rubbish system our country has. When u unfold, it’s nothing but worms.
58) mice is nice
///////f the danger being caught in the void between the train’s & the platform’s doors. that safety issue may be highlighted to people who tend to take chances & rush into the trains even after the door closing buzzer has sounded. ///////
this issue is comparable with closing lift doors
no matter what you do you will have some people who will behave that way
whereas the gaps in lifts can be very small (lifts are vertically guided by vertical rails which locks it in position, as such there is no horizontal movement, and thus the gaps can be very small with no danger of the lift car hitting the door jambs at the landing floors), the gaps in MRT platdforms needs to be wider as the trains have a suspension system (like cars) to give a more comfortable ride while it traverse on the track. This creates horizontal movement perpenticular to the track, and thus if platform gaps are too narrow, the train car may collide with the platfrom edge.
hi kopitiamApek,
1st off, wah, you must answer me in 3 parts arh? :P
“weight depends on thickness, no electricity savings as elevatred platform is non aircon, lighting cost saved in minimal.”
i thought lighter doors need less power so save electricity. minmal savings on lightings also is savings, just like how these greedy transport operators increase fares by $0.01 – $0.03 per trip…
“we can go on all day, but this is good enough lah.”
heh, thank you. unlikely i cover every detail, just in case other posters know of things to add to the list. ;)
“this issue is comparable with closing lift doors
no matter what you do you will have some people who will behave that way
whereas the gaps in lifts can be very small (lifts are vertically guided by vertical rails which locks it in position, as such there is no horizontal movement, and thus the gaps can be very small with no danger of the lift car hitting the door jambs at the landing floors), the gaps in MRT platdforms needs to be wider as the trains have a suspension system (like cars) to give a more comfortable ride while it traverse on the track. This creates horizontal movement perpenticular to the track, and thus if platform gaps are too narrow, the train car may collide with the platfrom edge.”
agree with you, the gaps of lift doors are too small to be caught in-between in most (99.9%) cases. a very comprehensive list of details of the differences you mentioned. :)
& lift does not travel at the speeds of the trains, otherwise need seatbelts liao…
65) mice is nice
///////1st off, wah, you must answer me in 3 parts arh? //////
The magic of 3 : )
BTW, article on ST yesterday on this train door thingy.
Based on that article, the Neihu train is even smaller than I estimated.
But still ST is comparing by door numbers, which is not as precise as comparing by the whole platfrom length, and the number of doors.
But I guess it close enough to give a better understanding of the cost discrepancy.
hi KopitiamApek,
we all know ST likes to report selectively on stuff, so no difference here.
69) mice is nice
ST is not always wrong and TOC is not always right.
I have stated my stand before, that is to do the right thing and say it is right when it is right and say it is wrong wrong when it is wrong. And I will not be blinded by prejuidice to the extend that I refuse to recognise facts even when it is shaft into my face.
hi KopitiamApek,
////And I will not be blinded by prejuidice to the extend that I refuse to recognise facts even when it is shaft into my face.////
not that i am prejudiced, but there are times facts are selectively presented…
in such cases, no one can say that those are not facts, but it creates a distortion of the true situation.
Govnt used our taxpayer money to built the MRT, a “private” company called SMRT operate and earn millions of dollars each month. But when it come to installing safety device such as the open platform door – Govnt pay, but the fare still increase (thanks to the PTC’s innovation formula). Moral of the story, cost Govnt pay (with our taxpayer money), profit they take. Good Deal!
Out of curiousity, how many members in the PTC actually do use the public transport system. Its like asking a celebrity chef to chair a “public hawker committee” and decide if the fish ball noodles increases by 50 cents or 1 dollar. His answer would be “my fish ball noodles sells for $20/bowl”. stop wasting my time just increase by a dollar so i can sell more bowls.