Space is small, that's true. The overpopulation, overcapacity, understaffing perpetually successful application of fare hike, gave ex-CEO Saw and her senior cronies very got profits to report for wage increases for themselves. Ex-Tranport Minister Raymond Lim was the first one sacked over this. He listened to Saw, to building another line because there couldn't be guarantee, even unlikely, that SMRT having already won the Circle Line, could be allowed to win the bid. That was exactly how it turned out. The government lost control, sacked Raymond and Saw, and the new MT Lui promptly awarded the new Downturn Line to SBSTransit in August 2011.