PTC's fines won't deter future lapses
Letter from Alvin Choo 06:33 PM Oct 25, 2011
I read the report "SMRT, SBS Transit fined for service quality breaches" (Oct 22) and wondered why the Public Transport Council bothered to fine SBS Transit and SMRT $700 and $300, respectively, for not meeting Quality of Service standards.
SBS Transit reported a net profit of S$54.2 million last year. A $700 fine is a mere 0.00129 per cent. For SMRT, whose net profit was S$161.1 million, the $300 fine represents only 0.00019 per cent.
To corporations as big as them, the PTC fines are equivalent to a convicted serial killer serving two hours of Corrective Work Order.
Compare this to a fine of up to $500 for eating and drinking on the trains, which represents 12 per cent of the average monthly earnings (S$4,089) of workers last year.
I am not saying the size of the fine should be pegged to the profits/earnings of the corporation or individual, but it should be of an amount enough to deter, in this case, future service lapses.
Perhaps, the PTC could be
Letter from Alvin Choo 06:33 PM Oct 25, 2011
I read the report "SMRT, SBS Transit fined for service quality breaches" (Oct 22) and wondered why the Public Transport Council bothered to fine SBS Transit and SMRT $700 and $300, respectively, for not meeting Quality of Service standards.
SBS Transit reported a net profit of S$54.2 million last year. A $700 fine is a mere 0.00129 per cent. For SMRT, whose net profit was S$161.1 million, the $300 fine represents only 0.00019 per cent.
To corporations as big as them, the PTC fines are equivalent to a convicted serial killer serving two hours of Corrective Work Order.
Compare this to a fine of up to $500 for eating and drinking on the trains, which represents 12 per cent of the average monthly earnings (S$4,089) of workers last year.
I am not saying the size of the fine should be pegged to the profits/earnings of the corporation or individual, but it should be of an amount enough to deter, in this case, future service lapses.
Perhaps, the PTC could be