Flawed mindset of PTC costing SGs unnecessary suffering

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

I refer to the clarifications made by PTC secretary Alvin Chia (24th Jan) on why service quality is not part of the fare formulae. I find this especially worrying since it reflects on the fundamentally-flawed mindset of policy makers as I will discuss below.

Public transport is a necessary evil in Singapore?

In Hong Kong, the public transport system and taxis are so efficient that residents are fine with not owning a car even though cars are affordable there. However, Singapore is a far cry away. As I have previously discussed, the 2013 Land Transport Master Plan aims to drastically cut the number of cars on the road as the PAP government wants to use the remaining space for foreign trash instead. Concurrently, private cars have become exorbitantly priced and the middle-class people have no choice but are forced to take public transport instead. To force citizens to take a sub-standard quality of public transport while depriving them of alternatives would be quite unforgivable.

Fewer resources to maintain services, but more can make so much profit?

The PTC has refused to include service quality factor into the fare formulae. They argue that if fares were not increased, there would be less of an operating expenditure budget and this would lead to a “downward spiral” for consumers in terms of service quality. However, this has nothing to do with fare increases but management’s poor vision. In the May 2012 inquiry, it was revealed that the maintenance budget for SMRT remained stagnant since 2002 despite increases in readership. By contrast, profits rose from $56.8 million in 2002 to $161 million in 2011.

Ultimately passing costs down to consumers? Is this fair?

The PTC has also suggested that it is better if the QoS standards dealt with the breakdowns and fined the PTOs respectively with more “stringent” amounts. However, looking at SMRT’s consolidated income statement in 2012, it is very likely that the fines imposed would fall into “Other operating expenses” since there is no other more evident category in which the fines would fall into. Would it then become another spiral where the increasing incompetence of the PTOs sees more fines and there is an increase in operating expense where fares go up? Who will pay the price when fare reviews are again sought?

Contributions to low-income workers not “targeted” enough?

The PTC has also argued that they have mandated the highest contribution ever from the PTOs to the Public Transport Fund. While this may offer some help to the needy, the reality is that it may not amount to much given the bureaucracy surrounding the application – this was even agreed by some PAP MPs in Parliament. For example, the low-income would need to be on workfare supplement – this means they need to be above 35 years of age and know of the scheme, which is still considered obscure to many low-income workers.

Concluding remarks?

We are increasingly squeezed dry by the PAP, yet we have to condone more of their bullshit and the insensitive comments made by the trash they let in.
Joseph Kheng-Liang Tan

*The author is an extremely homophobic 21 year-old polytechnic graduate who is currently pursuing his law degree in Australia. A believer of the free press, he has contributed extensively in his personal capacity to popular socio-political sites.

- http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/01/28...ary-suffering/


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