I think is is what is sorely missing in our public transit
system - the human factor. Sometimes, I feel our public
transit system has grown to be too systematic, faceless,
clockwork-like, robotic, and Stalinist - and while I can understand
the reason why there has to be systematic clockwork-like deployment
of our buses and trains, I feel that many of the human interactions
between commuter and public transit company has fallen victim to
this same clockwork mechanism. Like all these bus fare incidents, I
can't help but feel that these people are robots programmed to
insist on only one thing and is incapable of looking at things
another way - simply because for them, it doesn't exist.
This, I have always felt, is the real reason
behind why our public transit system is such a mess.
Too much humanity doesn't work too. Singaporeans being
Singaporeans, in particular those with the kiasu-ness, will abuse
it.
I don't blame the companies for being so stiff - after all, they
are answerable to shareholders on profits and they have to make
profits in our corporate environment to survive. I doubt the
Government gives them any cash/aid - for gods sake, they even have
to pay PTC/Govt to run a route I think, and with all the ridiculous
restrictions restricting them (such as the territory rule
which imo, needs to be abolished), it doesn't make things any
better.
