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[h=2]LTA’s off peak rebate con job[/h]
July 7th, 2012 |
Author: Contributions
The transport fare rebates for off peak travel solution to beat the over crowding public transport problem is just one example why our civil service needs a complete revamp to incorporate better thinking agents who can offer real solutions to problems that affect the general public. This one is a lazy approach, one which suggests to citizens that the policy makers are just going through the motion of offering solutions just to look as if they are doing something about the problem; never mind if the solutions would defy logic at times. And to think it had the cheek to try and convince public transport users that the solution was derived at after a research study was carried out by the National University of Singapore and Stanford University in collaboration with the Land Transport Authority.
Why can’t these people just spend some time during their research study to go down to where the commuters are and have a taste of what the issue is about? Even if they do not do this, they can jolly well interview and get the views of real commuters. Perhaps the most feasible solution lies within them. Let me offer one right here right now.
First, let us take a closer look at what might the root cause be. This is a good time to do so especially after the recent mid term school holidays. Throughout the month of June, most of us were able to get to work without much squeezing. That’s because most students were not traveling and adding to the peak hour traffic woes. At those hours, from morning, afternoon and evening – before and after school – workers were able to have a less congested ride to and from work. We were even reaching our offices and our homes earlier than we normally would.
How is this so? The answer is clear. Students were not traveling and not adding to the traffic situation. Therein lies the cause of the traffic problem.
To find the solution to resolve the problem, all it takes is some serious brainstorming sessions to see how best to deal with students traveling to and from schools during peak hours. In fact, they are the main cause of peak hours. There wouldn’t be peak hours in the manner we are experiencing if not for them. Deal with the students need to take public transport and the traffic woes will immediately cease. It’s that simple.
Let me offer one possible solution before i am accused of blowing hot air without offering solutions. Think about it and let me know what do you think.
My suggestion is to get students to travel by a specially catered-for fleet of buses during before and after school hours. No need to add incentives like fare rebates to get them onboard, so there is no need to lose financial cost. Instead, make them pay the full adult fares if they choose to take public transport.
The fleet of buses catered for them will run along stretches of schools so that students get to their schools in the shortest possible time. No time wastage. Pick up ponts are the same public bus stops, no need to build new ones. Once these students are taken off the general public transport vehicles, the rest of the population will have more room to board them and the transport squeeze is solved. That’s the general crux of it. Thing is, simple solutions are really available only if these idiots would seriously think with their heads than other parts of their anatomy.
Coming back to the off peak rebates to encourage workers to travel during non peak hours; it is nothing more than a scam and a sham. Off peak travel means a worker had to leave home early, and reach work early as well. That means quality time lost for some, time which can be spent with the family, which is so premium in Singapore. Such a solution pushes the problem away from the transport ministry and places it directly on our laps.
Off peak travel rebates also encourages those who do not usually travel, to take to traveling during non peak hours to enjoy the rebates. This again would create a new problem of congestion. Who is to say there won’t be new peak hours because of the pattern of travel by these new group of commuters, which are identical?
All the above notwithstanding, the biggest incentive for the Transport Ministry and LTA to come up with such an idea is the revenue it would generate with new off peak traveling by new commuters who would otherwise not be traveling at all. Does it not add up to what this government is known to be – a money-faced government that makes citizens Pay And Pay?
.
The Alternative View
The transport fare rebates for off peak travel solution to beat the over crowding public transport problem is just one example why our civil service needs a complete revamp to incorporate better thinking agents who can offer real solutions to problems that affect the general public. This one is a lazy approach, one which suggests to citizens that the policy makers are just going through the motion of offering solutions just to look as if they are doing something about the problem; never mind if the solutions would defy logic at times. And to think it had the cheek to try and convince public transport users that the solution was derived at after a research study was carried out by the National University of Singapore and Stanford University in collaboration with the Land Transport Authority.
Why can’t these people just spend some time during their research study to go down to where the commuters are and have a taste of what the issue is about? Even if they do not do this, they can jolly well interview and get the views of real commuters. Perhaps the most feasible solution lies within them. Let me offer one right here right now.
First, let us take a closer look at what might the root cause be. This is a good time to do so especially after the recent mid term school holidays. Throughout the month of June, most of us were able to get to work without much squeezing. That’s because most students were not traveling and adding to the peak hour traffic woes. At those hours, from morning, afternoon and evening – before and after school – workers were able to have a less congested ride to and from work. We were even reaching our offices and our homes earlier than we normally would.
How is this so? The answer is clear. Students were not traveling and not adding to the traffic situation. Therein lies the cause of the traffic problem.
To find the solution to resolve the problem, all it takes is some serious brainstorming sessions to see how best to deal with students traveling to and from schools during peak hours. In fact, they are the main cause of peak hours. There wouldn’t be peak hours in the manner we are experiencing if not for them. Deal with the students need to take public transport and the traffic woes will immediately cease. It’s that simple.
Let me offer one possible solution before i am accused of blowing hot air without offering solutions. Think about it and let me know what do you think.
My suggestion is to get students to travel by a specially catered-for fleet of buses during before and after school hours. No need to add incentives like fare rebates to get them onboard, so there is no need to lose financial cost. Instead, make them pay the full adult fares if they choose to take public transport.
The fleet of buses catered for them will run along stretches of schools so that students get to their schools in the shortest possible time. No time wastage. Pick up ponts are the same public bus stops, no need to build new ones. Once these students are taken off the general public transport vehicles, the rest of the population will have more room to board them and the transport squeeze is solved. That’s the general crux of it. Thing is, simple solutions are really available only if these idiots would seriously think with their heads than other parts of their anatomy.
Coming back to the off peak rebates to encourage workers to travel during non peak hours; it is nothing more than a scam and a sham. Off peak travel means a worker had to leave home early, and reach work early as well. That means quality time lost for some, time which can be spent with the family, which is so premium in Singapore. Such a solution pushes the problem away from the transport ministry and places it directly on our laps.
Off peak travel rebates also encourages those who do not usually travel, to take to traveling during non peak hours to enjoy the rebates. This again would create a new problem of congestion. Who is to say there won’t be new peak hours because of the pattern of travel by these new group of commuters, which are identical?
All the above notwithstanding, the biggest incentive for the Transport Ministry and LTA to come up with such an idea is the revenue it would generate with new off peak traveling by new commuters who would otherwise not be traveling at all. Does it not add up to what this government is known to be – a money-faced government that makes citizens Pay And Pay?
.
The Alternative View
