The SM(a)RT Choice?
28th July 2008, Monday
Monday blues....Our well-respected French supervisor leaving her post on Wednesday for her PhD studies and the imminent future deem pretty bleak but life goes on...
The real frustration from the daily routine derived partially from work but the constant helter skelter for train to commute can drives one to the edge...
Evidently with the tenfold increase of population on our booger-sized island, we were expecting to see a greater turn out for commuters.
This was further compounded by the increasing fuel prices resulted in many people to ditch the idea of car-owning and resorted to public transport.
Now it had accumulated to a daily battle for the limited train on the train carriages and at times "Battle of Helms Deep" as I like to put it on the platform for those even more elusive seats.
Singaporeans are pretty ugly in nature to begin with but with this constant rat race and battle, the ugliness had now amplified and blown out to proportion...
With more and more people hopping on the bandwagon , in this case the Mass Rapid Transit, the company should come out with feasible solutions to quell and alleviate whatever misery we paying commuters are entrenched in...
One mean could be the most logical..Increasing the frequency of rides.
But in the economic aspect, it would mean getting more trains and employed more drivers... The company had already obligated to that in early this month with increased frequency during peak hours but for my route, it didn't really seemed like it.
People are still getting stranded on the platforms of Jurong East station unless you risk being "molested" by fellow passengers or even incur the wrath of the others as you pegged yourself in whatever limited space you have into the cabins...
Find alternative transport mean....
Taking cab on daily basis is surely no go considering the various extra levies you have to pay during the peak hours (not forgetting the millions and millions ERP gantries littered around the island).
As for buses, I think of late the bus companies relieved as much if not much more scathing comments on the papers with regards to their appalling frequency as well as the intimidating drivers' attitude.
Personally I need to transit between 3 buses from my home to my workplace which surely make shuffling and nudging on the platform with strangers seems like heaven.
Perhaps the best solution would be avoid really peak hours... Either go out earlier or much later than 80% of the commuters would proceed... In this time and age we might have to look at earlier than 6 or later than 10...Absurd as it sound but it is a safe bet you'll at least guaranteed a seat for your journey....
It would be even better if you can work from home, so no traveling required... I'm surely the King of Wishful Thinking like Go West
In conclusion, the situation would most probably stay the same (I hope) or degenerate further and we can't do nuts about it cos there is not ready competitors for this sector (notice how in Singapore mass appeal services like transport, mobile, high speed internet provider and cable TV have only 2 competitors and one something two are from the gahmen)...
Well they will monopolize the industry, give you the "take it or leave it" attitude and conjure more price hikes (they increase when fuel price increase but when the price goes the other direction, the elevated price remains..go figure), and we just have to endure and take it out on one another on our next journey perhaps....
Monday blues....Our well-respected French supervisor leaving her post on Wednesday for her PhD studies and the imminent future deem pretty bleak but life goes on...
The real frustration from the daily routine derived partially from work but the constant helter skelter for train to commute can drives one to the edge...
Evidently with the tenfold increase of population on our booger-sized island, we were expecting to see a greater turn out for commuters.
This was further compounded by the increasing fuel prices resulted in many people to ditch the idea of car-owning and resorted to public transport.
Now it had accumulated to a daily battle for the limited train on the train carriages and at times "Battle of Helms Deep" as I like to put it on the platform for those even more elusive seats.
Singaporeans are pretty ugly in nature to begin with but with this constant rat race and battle, the ugliness had now amplified and blown out to proportion...
With more and more people hopping on the bandwagon , in this case the Mass Rapid Transit, the company should come out with feasible solutions to quell and alleviate whatever misery we paying commuters are entrenched in...
One mean could be the most logical..Increasing the frequency of rides.
But in the economic aspect, it would mean getting more trains and employed more drivers... The company had already obligated to that in early this month with increased frequency during peak hours but for my route, it didn't really seemed like it.
People are still getting stranded on the platforms of Jurong East station unless you risk being "molested" by fellow passengers or even incur the wrath of the others as you pegged yourself in whatever limited space you have into the cabins...
Find alternative transport mean....
Taking cab on daily basis is surely no go considering the various extra levies you have to pay during the peak hours (not forgetting the millions and millions ERP gantries littered around the island).
As for buses, I think of late the bus companies relieved as much if not much more scathing comments on the papers with regards to their appalling frequency as well as the intimidating drivers' attitude.
Personally I need to transit between 3 buses from my home to my workplace which surely make shuffling and nudging on the platform with strangers seems like heaven.
Perhaps the best solution would be avoid really peak hours... Either go out earlier or much later than 80% of the commuters would proceed... In this time and age we might have to look at earlier than 6 or later than 10...Absurd as it sound but it is a safe bet you'll at least guaranteed a seat for your journey....
It would be even better if you can work from home, so no traveling required... I'm surely the King of Wishful Thinking like Go West
In conclusion, the situation would most probably stay the same (I hope) or degenerate further and we can't do nuts about it cos there is not ready competitors for this sector (notice how in Singapore mass appeal services like transport, mobile, high speed internet provider and cable TV have only 2 competitors and one something two are from the gahmen)...
Well they will monopolize the industry, give you the "take it or leave it" attitude and conjure more price hikes (they increase when fuel price increase but when the price goes the other direction, the elevated price remains..go figure), and we just have to endure and take it out on one another on our next journey perhaps....
Japanese word of the day: 欲求不満 (frustration) How do you keep tab of your frustration on the train?
Labels: Rant
posted by Kei at
1:57 PM
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