- Joined
- Nov 5, 2011
- Messages
- 67
- Points
- 0
Over the past few days, many Singaporeans have been affected by the MRT service disruptions. Even more have expressed concern that such a major and serious series of service failures could have occurred in Singapore. A friend of mine could not even get home till midnight last Thursday and was understandably very upset when she related her experience to me. Other friends and residents have also approached me, emailed me or FB-ed me to give their feedback on the matter. I did not think it would have been at all helpful for me to publicly add to the chorus of criticisms directed at SMRT, especially when the priority then was to solve the problems and get the trains running properly again. Now that the system seems to have stabilised, please allow me to make a few points on the matter.
This unfortunate episode has uncovered many faults – from the maintenance regime, crisis management to public communications. The Prime Minister has directed that a Committee of Inquiry be convened to undertake a full investigation. This is a decisive and important move, to find out what went wrong and to put things right. SMRT must take this in the right spirit. It is critical for SMRT to take an honest look at itself, and address not just the areas of failure, but the systemic issues as well. Apart from that, the Government should also examine what more it could have done in this episode, and update its policies to prevent any future recurrences. [As a side note, I thought it was an assuring move to have the Minister of Transport Lui Tuck Yew making personal visits to observe and ensure that crisis management was carried out properly.]
When the MRT was built in the 1980s, it was at that time one of the most modern mass transit systems in the world. I remember it felt pretty exciting during those days when we tried out the new MRT, and sometimes, we would take it to nowhere in particular just for the fun of it. But over the last 2 decades, technology has advanced rapidly, some infrastructure has become dated and the load on the system has multiplied manifold. Of course, this does not mean that we should therefore accept service lapses. Singaporeans expect and deserve the best possible mass transit system in the world, regardless of its age. This also places a heavier responsibility on SMRT to focus on maintenance, to keep standards of safety and service high. I can appreciate that some parts of the infrastructure will be hard to change, e.g. we cannot build larger train platforms, but the tracks, rolling stock, signalling equipment, etc. all can and should be regularly inspected, serviced and upgraded.
Just as importantly, we need good software. We need robust processes - on maintenance, crisis management and service recovery; the staff need to be well trained; and emergency procedures need to be regularly rehearsed. But more than these, SMRT officers must have the right attitude. They should not be working off templates (as some have pointed out…) but should instead be able to respond competently, confidently and in a timely manner to an evolving situation. They must have pride in the role that they play, no matter how small it may seem in the grand scheme of things, because major disasters are often the result of the smallest of lapses. After all, it seems that a set of small claws on the third rail was what caused the major problems. Above all, SMRT officers must possess a strong service culture, motivated to always do what is best for Singaporean commuters, and not just for achieving corporate goals. When one has the right “heart”, it will show and I think Singaporeans will appreciate that.
Finally, I know that the SMRT officers, especially its frontline staff, backroom operators and engineers, have gone through a lot these last few days. They are the people who work through weekends and public holidays to keep trains running. They will again be at their stations as many of the rest of us break for Christmas and the New Year. It is the season of giving, forgiveness and new hopes. I hope they will keep up their spirits, and not feel too dejected. Positive energy keeps us going (negativity drains our energy) and I wish SMRT the best as it goes about addressing the problems it faces. I hope the end of the year will also signal the end of problems for our MRT systems, and that the new year will bring pleasant journeys on our public transport for all!
- Tin Pei Ling
This unfortunate episode has uncovered many faults – from the maintenance regime, crisis management to public communications. The Prime Minister has directed that a Committee of Inquiry be convened to undertake a full investigation. This is a decisive and important move, to find out what went wrong and to put things right. SMRT must take this in the right spirit. It is critical for SMRT to take an honest look at itself, and address not just the areas of failure, but the systemic issues as well. Apart from that, the Government should also examine what more it could have done in this episode, and update its policies to prevent any future recurrences. [As a side note, I thought it was an assuring move to have the Minister of Transport Lui Tuck Yew making personal visits to observe and ensure that crisis management was carried out properly.]
When the MRT was built in the 1980s, it was at that time one of the most modern mass transit systems in the world. I remember it felt pretty exciting during those days when we tried out the new MRT, and sometimes, we would take it to nowhere in particular just for the fun of it. But over the last 2 decades, technology has advanced rapidly, some infrastructure has become dated and the load on the system has multiplied manifold. Of course, this does not mean that we should therefore accept service lapses. Singaporeans expect and deserve the best possible mass transit system in the world, regardless of its age. This also places a heavier responsibility on SMRT to focus on maintenance, to keep standards of safety and service high. I can appreciate that some parts of the infrastructure will be hard to change, e.g. we cannot build larger train platforms, but the tracks, rolling stock, signalling equipment, etc. all can and should be regularly inspected, serviced and upgraded.
Just as importantly, we need good software. We need robust processes - on maintenance, crisis management and service recovery; the staff need to be well trained; and emergency procedures need to be regularly rehearsed. But more than these, SMRT officers must have the right attitude. They should not be working off templates (as some have pointed out…) but should instead be able to respond competently, confidently and in a timely manner to an evolving situation. They must have pride in the role that they play, no matter how small it may seem in the grand scheme of things, because major disasters are often the result of the smallest of lapses. After all, it seems that a set of small claws on the third rail was what caused the major problems. Above all, SMRT officers must possess a strong service culture, motivated to always do what is best for Singaporean commuters, and not just for achieving corporate goals. When one has the right “heart”, it will show and I think Singaporeans will appreciate that.
Finally, I know that the SMRT officers, especially its frontline staff, backroom operators and engineers, have gone through a lot these last few days. They are the people who work through weekends and public holidays to keep trains running. They will again be at their stations as many of the rest of us break for Christmas and the New Year. It is the season of giving, forgiveness and new hopes. I hope they will keep up their spirits, and not feel too dejected. Positive energy keeps us going (negativity drains our energy) and I wish SMRT the best as it goes about addressing the problems it faces. I hope the end of the year will also signal the end of problems for our MRT systems, and that the new year will bring pleasant journeys on our public transport for all!
- Tin Pei Ling
