The Fine for Ovecrowding - Is this a Cruel Joke or What?

[makapaaa]

[h=2]Token fine for SMRT and SBS despite repeatedly overcrowding buses[/h]

April 21st, 2012 |

Author: Editorial

Despite being fined 4 times, SMRT’s bus service 925 continues to run with overcrowding.
It was found to be bursting at the seams on three occasions, twice in Sep and once in Jun last year.
SMRT’s service 925 plys between the Woodlands Regional Interchange and Choa Chu Kang Interchange.
Under PTC’s guideline, buses cannot be more than 95% full during weekday peak periods.
Overcrowding was also found on SBS Transit’s service 125 and 975.
SBS Transit’s service 125 runs between Balestier and Geylang while service 975, between Bukit Panjang and Lim Chu Kang.
Altogether, SBS Transit was fined $400 and SMRT $800 for the latest lapses, all involving overcrowding.
Both SMRT and SBS Transit are blaming the latest lapses largely on a shortage of bus drivers and have been conducting massive recruitment excercises in China, since last year.
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[ZorrorroZ]

All SBS has to do to solve the driver shortage is to pay reasonable salaries to locals to become drivers. Instead of paying a pathetic $1600 a month, which is impossible to survive on if you have family - just pay the drivers a reasonable $3500 starting salary - and many people will queue to become bus drivers. Shortage of driver problem: SOLVED! Overcrowding: SOLVED!

 

[laksaboy]

I have a better solution: cut the population by 1-2 million. Excess houses/condos/flats get demolished and the land they sit on gets converted to parks.

No more overcrowding on the roads, in the malls, inside buses or inside trains.

 

[Ash007]

Don't forget to increase the bus fares to at least triple the current rate to reduce the number of passengers as well.

All SBS has to do to solve the driver shortage is to pay reasonable salaries to locals to become drivers. Instead of paying a pathetic $1600 a month, which is impossible to survive on if you have family - just pay the drivers a reasonable $3500 starting salary - and many people will queue to become bus drivers. Shortage of driver problem: SOLVED! Overcrowding: SOLVED!

 

[ZorrorroZ]

Don't forget to increase the bus fares to at least triple the current rate to reduce the number of passengers as well.

Actually... if there were sufficient buses and drivers... than all the more they should keep bus fares at current levels (or even reduce) - so as to encourage even more drivers to give up cars and take bus. The increase in volume would rake in the revenue and profits. Seriously, if public transport was really efficient in Singapore, I would have given up driving long ago. The several times I attempted to switch to public transport ended up with me spending 3-4 hours travelling a day - vs 45mins to 1 hr by car... and that's the main reason why I continue driving instead of switching to buses. Time is too precious to spend half the daily working hours sitting in a bus. Especially when the distance is less than 20km.

IF there were sufficient buses and drivers....

 

[Ash007]

And who funds these extra buses and drivers? The tax payers? GLCs? Temasek? MIWs? Its always easy to say if only while the problem is somewhere else.

Actually... if there were sufficient buses and drivers... than all the more they should keep bus fares at current levels (or even reduce) - so as to encourage even more drivers to give up cars and take bus. The increase in volume would rake in the revenue and profits. Seriously, if public transport was really efficient in Singapore, I would have given up driving long ago. The several times I attempted to switch to public transport ended up with me spending 3-4 hours travelling a day - vs 45mins to 1 hr by car... and that's the main reason why I continue driving instead of switching to buses. Time is too precious to spend half the daily working hours sitting in a bus. Especially when the distance is less than 20km.

IF there were sufficient buses and drivers....

 

[drifter]

MRT kenna fine for over-crowding ? like that everyday also tio fine liao

is there a higher fine for repeat offender

 

[Jlokta]

MRT kenna fine for over-crowding ? like that everyday also tio fine liao

is there a higher fine for repeat offender

Nope, there's actually discount for repeat 'offender'.

 

[Hwheels]

What's a few hundred peanuts to these companies? Not like it will effectively inspire them to improve. SMRT buses are still dusty and look at the top of trains at those stations that are above ground. The amount of dust -- I wonder if they even clean it monthly.

 

[Ramseth]

There's a technical and legal passenger capacity limit on a bus. However, of course the driver can't be expected to count exactly. In US, for safety, there's a yellow line drawn behind the driver's seat and the entry door. That's taken as the practical and legal limit. No passenger must allowed to board if the bus is filled to the line.

 

[singveld]

PAP like to copy business model from UK, but when executing the model, they sucks, why even bother to fine such an small amount. The fine even for me is insignificant. Not to mention a company.

 

[Cestbon]

All SBS has to do to solve the driver shortage is to pay reasonable salaries to locals to become drivers. Instead of paying a pathetic $1600 a month, which is impossible to survive on if you have family - just pay the drivers a reasonable $3500 starting salary - and many people will queue to become bus drivers. Shortage of driver problem: SOLVED! Overcrowding: SOLVED!

$2k starting salary is reasonable. $3.5k then prepare fore 50% fare increase.