Bus transport, ranked lower than all other types of public transport except budget airlines in the most recent Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore, is getting a review.
Richard Hartung is a management consultant who has lived in Singapore since 1992.
Richard Hartung
Minister of Transport Lui Tuck Yew announced on his blog that he has “asked the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to do a comprehensive review of our current bus service levels”. He also asked commuters to continue providing feedback to grassroots organisations and the LTA.
Doing a review is a definite positive step. However, the same group that has been responsible for planning public transport so far is responsible for the review.
An alternative, to provide broader input and to actually move the needle, could be to leverage expertise from around the world and use innovative ways to get feedback locally.
Just as the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has a panel of experts to plan for floods, so could public transport benefit from similar skills.
Singapore is not the only city that has faced challenges in public transport, so one approach could be to learn from other planning initiatives. When London reviewed its transport policy in 2005 and developed its Transport 2025 strategy, it utilised internal and external experts as well as demographic forecasts, transport modelling and analytics. The new policy was enhanced by submissions from 40 major stakeholder groups.
Vancouver, Canada, followed a similar model when it revamped its transport management system a dozen years ago, drawing on experts to help develop a strategic plan and embracing consultation with stakeholders that Transit Canada said enhanced “the final outcome and end product”. Using a model that engages internal and external experts as well as stakeholders could enhance our own review.
In addition, leveraging innovative technology to collect commuter input can help ensure a better gathering of information. Carnegie Mellon University, for example, developed an iPhone application called Tiramisu that uses crowd-sourcing to obtain input on bus arrival times and crowding. Similar techniques here could enable commuters to let the LTA — and each other — know when busses arrive late, bunch together or are overcrowded. Transport games could also be a surprising source of information, and developer
Andrew Nash says a game called Bus Meister that Vienna, Austria, financed uses “an online game, social networking and a wiki to teach people how to improve public transport” as well as for “involving people in the improvement process”. Technologies like these, or others such as Gridlock Buster, could let planners source input more broadly.
It is not that feedback mechanisms do not exist now. Indeed, the LTA says a team of 15 in its Feedback Division “pick up phone calls and sieve through thousands of emails” to “find solutions to problems and homes for new ideas”. The Public Transport Council says that, in addition to operators’ continuous tracking of actual performance of bus services, it “conducts multiple on-site audits or spot checks” to compare performance data with commuters’ experience.
Commuters still complain despite these measures, and the customer satisfaction index results show that commuters gave low ratings to the frequency and punctuality of bus arrivals. Using new channels to obtain input could generate better information.
Along with leveraging expertise and gathering data better, considering the use of best practices could bring leading-edge ideas to Singapore. One example is Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) models, which use corridors for rapid travel by bus. Bogota, Colombia, used BRT to achieve a 32-per-cent reduction in commute times and a sharp jump in the number of commuters — then also saw the results unravel as policies changed, so it could provide an example of what works and what does not.
The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy cites Guangzhou, China, as among “many gold-standard BRT systems” and Chicago is starting to use it too. While BRT may or may not work for Singapore, analysing its applicability and that of other leading-edge transport concepts for Singapore could help with improvements.
There is a wealth of ideas and experience that transport regulators can tap into to improve bus transport. Beyond using existing source of information and organisations that have already worked on solutions, sourcing expertise or task force leadership globally and tapping into unconventional channels to generate ideas may well bring about greater results.
1. Appropriateness of behavior or conduct propriety: " In the Ireland of the 1940's ... the stolidity of a long, empty, grave face was thought to be the height of decorum and profundity" (John McGahern).
2. decorums The conventions or requirements of polite behavior: the formalities and decorums of a military funeral.
3. The appropriateness of an element of an artistic or literary work, such as style or tone, to its particular circumstance or to the composition as a whole.
[Latin decrum, from decrus, becoming, handsome see decorous.]
SINGAPORE: Presidential candidate Dr Tony Tan has said if elected, he can help strengthen Singapore’s ability to weather the current financial uncertainties and protect its financial reserves.
He will also champion the Singapore brand overseas, help raise the profile of local charities and encourage greater participation in sporting, cultural and artistic activities.
Dr Tan was speaking as he hit the campaign trail, canvassing for support at the busy Toa Payoh Hub just hours after his candidacy was confirmed at the Nomination Centre on Wednesday.
Speaking at a news conference at the Koufu foodcourt, Dr Tan also said he will raise issues dear to his heart, such as education, through formal and informal channels.
" The President has access to the Prime Minister, to the ministers he meets with the PM and the ministers regularly. He has access to all Cabinet papers and he is kept informed. I think during meetings with the PM and the ministers, he can put forward his views, (and) the concerns of the people on government policies," he said.
Dr Tan also commented on the jeering when he was addressing supporters at the Nomination Centre.
He said: " It is deeply disappointing to have people who would not even listen. I hope that during this campaign, Singaporeans will listen to the views of all the candidates. I don’t think that jeering or heckling is the right way to go about campaigning, particularly in a campaign for the President, which has to be conducted with decorum and dignity."
Dr Tan also unveiled his campaign materials including caps, postcards and fridge magnets.
The caps have Dr Tan’s election symbol printed on them — a pair of glasses which resembles the trademark spectacles he wears.
Black—frame spectacles also represents a President’s vision for Singapore, he said.
Aside from campaign posters that will go up all over Singapore, Dr Tan will be handing out the caps.
A video has also been uploaded on his website — www.tonytan.sg.
Some 9,400 posters and 200 banners have been printed, the maximum allowed under the Elections Act, said Dr Tan’s campaign office.
Earlier Wednesday, more than 3,000 people turned up at the Nomination Centre at the People’s Association Headquarters to support Dr Tan.
His supporters included some 300 members from the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations.
Wearing caps which have Dr Tan’s trademark — a pair of spectacles — on them and armed with banners and slogans, they waved at Dr Tan as he arrived to file his nomination papers.
Mr Tan added he wants to follow in the footsteps of the late former president Ong Teng Cheong.
" (Mr) Ong knows his duty as a president, to safeguard the reserves he did his best to act independently and to ask questions... I will follow his example," Mr Tan said.
" The Constitution does not say the president cannot connect with people the Constitution does not say that the president cannot listen to people and bring their concerns to the government.
I watch PM Lee speak on the NDP rally just now and we are in line for a +5% GDP growth for the fiscal year 2011. If this is true, why is the market down so much YTD?
oh please, don't you know gov is always late in their speech and forecast? They will give their outlook and view after something have happened and not before the thing happened. Once the market deteriorates, they will then lower the gdp growth and forecast. It's always like that and will never change! Laggards!
I watch PM Lee speak on the NDP rally just now and we are in line for a +5% GDP growth for the fiscal year 2011. If this is true, why is the market down so much YTD?
With my feet firmly planted on a nice sunny beach, I knew I never should have answered the phone.
Even after attempting to ignore the third ring, I wasn't smart enough to just turn it off.
I answered the call, and on the other line was a good but panicky friend who, for obvious reasons, shall remain nameless. Of course, he didn't call me to talk about the size of the surf...
With the markets in yet another 600-point free fall, catching some waves was the last thing on his mind.
“Dude,” he said in a higher-than-normal pitch, “I just dumped everything. This market is insane.”
With that, I started laughing. I couldn't help myself — and not because I wanted to see my pal lose money...
But because I figured his frantic call meant the bottom was near.
Sunway’s RM569m win is a pleasant surprise after press reports of the Kelana Line 2nd package to end up with TRC Synergy.
MRCB’s huge RM1.33b win was also above the RM800m-RM900m range estimated for the Ampang Line 2nd package. Sunway’s win has lifted its outstanding order book to RM2.38b (+31%),
positive for the stock which will be listed on 23 Aug.
The LRT chapter (in terms of award for the civil works) has closed eyes are now on the MRT.
According to data from fund research firm Lipper, CPFIS-included unit trusts posted a loss of 1.52-per-cent, while investment-linked insurance products reported a 2.18-per-cent loss.
“Considering the impact on global markets from unexpected events such as the Middle East turmoil, the March 11 Japan earthquake as well as deteriorating fiscal conditions in Europe and North America, CPFIS-included funds have proved to be resilient,” Lipper said in a report.
— Unit trusts and investment-linked insurance products included under the Central Provident Fund Investment Scheme (CPFIS) posted an average loss of 1.89 per cent in the first half of the year, a better-than-expected performance amid the uncertain global economic situation.
‘Indonesia can cope with worsening global economy’
Indonesia can cope with a worsening global economic situation and has policy instruments in place to deal with a crisis, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said yesterday.
South-east Asia’s biggest economy has grown steadily at 6.5 per cent this year, powered by consumption from an expanding middle class the export of natural resources and investment, while policymakers have contained inflation and cut government debt levels.
Reflecting gains Indonesia has made since it was battered in 1998 by the Asian economic crisis and turmoil that forced longtime President Suharto from power, Mr Yudhoyono declared:
“Our self-perception as a failed state has finally disappeared.”
The President, in an annual speech to Parliament ahead of the country’s Independence Day, said: “Even though the economic situation in Europe and the United States is not good news for the world, we have sufficient confidence to overcome that uncertainty.”
New Thai govt to focus on pushing up people’s income
PEOPLE CENTRIC Govt increAses PEOPLE's INCOME
but nOt  Own  INCOME & Own PENSIONS  ? ? ? ?
BANGKOK
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s Cabinet held its first full meeting yesterday to agree on the programme it will present to Parliament, probably next Tuesday or Wednesday.
“Before, we were focusing on exports but today we have to focus on the domestic economy — increase people’s income and bring down their cost of living,” Ms Yingluck told reporters after the meeting.
The government seems determined to push ahead with the populist programme that won it a landslide election victory on July 3, although some economists warn this could set off a wage-price spiral.
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Kittirat Na Ranong said earlier that among the priorities were a minimum wage of 300 baht (S$12.08) a day, a starting salary for university graduates of 15,000 baht a month, a cut in company taxes, a reduction in fuel prices and a campaign against drug use.
The proposed nationwide minimum wage would mean an increase of 90 per cent in some provinces, which is bound to hurt small businesses. These firms say they would not be helped much by an offsetting cut in corporate tax to 23 per cent from 30 per cent.
— The Thai government said yesterday it would focus on increasing people’s income and lowering the cost of living rather than simply aiming for higher economic growth through the promotion of exports.Reuters
The National Solidarity Party (NSP) said it was disappointed that the “important issue of population growth target remains unaddressed”.
“This Rally speech has chosen to ignore the elephant in the room,” said its secretarygeneral Hazel Poa. “The Government can fight the fire now by increasing the number of BTO (Built-to-Order) flats and buses, but without addressing the root of the problem, which is the lack of co-ordination between population planning and infrastructure planning, such problems could recur.”
NSP called for “a sustainable long term population plan, one that takes into account not only economic considerations, but also social ones”.
While the Workers’ Party (WP) welcomed the Government’s decision to raise the household income ceiling from S$8,000 to S$10,000, the party noted that “this will add to the current high demand” and hence more Housing and Development Board (HDB) BTO flats will need to be built to ease the current supply crunch.
“Nevertheless, the affordability of flats continues to be a concern, and WP remains of the view that the Government needs to review the formula of pricing new flats and the recommended length of HDB housing loans,” said Mr Gerald Giam, head of WP’s media team.
WP also suggested the Government’s review of the homeless issue should look into “some flexibility of criteria to qualify for rental flats and more than two concessionary loans”.
Mr Giam reiterated the WP’s Manifesto 2011, and that “more can be done to put such children and families on an even keel”, especially having fixed instead of meanstested fees, and better career development opportunities for special education teachers.
fOr A wEll plAnned Administration,
pOpulation increase should rEAlise the bEnEfIts Of
ECONOMY Of SCALE  &   lOwer  prIces
And  nOt  cOngestIOn as wEll as INFLATION
— Opposition parties welcomed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech to place Singaporeans first, but suggested more could be done in areas such as housing, education, and supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to cope with the rise in manpower costs and rentals.
WE ARE puzzled by recent and mistaken claims that Temasek’s “stake in the Singapore economy could be almost 60 per cent”.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures the output of an economy, and in March 2001, the Department of Statistics published a study showing the 1998 GDP contributions by various entities.
- Foreign-owned companies contributed just below 42 per cent.
- Non-government related Singapore-owned companies contributed over 33 per cent.
- Government-linked companies contributed 13 per cent to GDP: Majority-owned Government-linked companies contributed 9 per cent companies that had minority Government-related ownership of 20 to 50 per cent contributed under four per cent.
Temasek portfolio companies in Singapore are a subset of Government-linked companies and thus contributed less than 13 per cent of GDP in 1998.
The Singapore economy has since grown and become more diversified. Temasek has itself divested several major businesses such as the power generation companies.
Thus, we expect Temasek portfolio companies to account for 10 per cent, or less, of GDP today.
For the interested public, Temasek produces its annual
Temasek Review, available online at www.temasekreview. com.sg. In addition, various frequently asked questions are covered at www.temasek.com.sg/ media_centre_faq.htm.
SEWAGE disposal has come a long way from the days of the bored hole or pit latrine and the bucket system.
My first encounter with the bored-hole latrine was in the early 1970s, during my National Service. It was not only cheap and efficient, with no disposal fee, but also provided nutrients to the surrounding vegetation.
The bucket system was common then in the city. Night soil carriers were employed and they transported the buckets in specially constructed night soil trucks, with many locked compartments resembling today’s safe deposit boxes.
The utility bill would include a removal fee known as night refuse fee.
With urbanisation and development of Singapore’s kampungs, we resettled into high-rise flats fitted with toilet bowls.
A sanitary appliance fee for disposal of sewage was imposed for each toilet bowl, in replacement of the night refuse fee.
Later on, a waterborne fee was added and stays on to date. Can the authority clarify on the double fee for sanitation service?
Both are fees levied for the same purpose — to offset the cost of treating used water and for the operation and maintenance of the public sewerage system — but charged in two ways, based on the number of sanitary fittings and the volume of water used.
I am all for welcoming entrepreneurs who bring in the capital or know-how, to establish or grow businesses here. But is there really a dearth of Singaporeans able to lead companies here?
If so, what efforts are being made by these companies and the country to nurture and train local talent for the top jobs?
fOreign compAnies brIng Own stAff and are here tO mAke mOney and  remIt  prOfIt bAck hOme ? ? ? ?
Is increas in lOcAl GDP  eqUAl tO
increase in fOreIgn home country's GNP  ? ? ? ?