Want the truth? SBST is doing better in both rail transport and
bus, and Comfort/Yellow Cab is doing better than SMRT (in fact all
other taxi companies are).
First things first, maintenance has nothing to do with service
quailty, in this case, frequency. I do admit that some SMRT
personnel at some stations are helpful (note: some, which makes me
wonder how they got their award, although apparently you have to
apply for the award). This excludes situations when maintenance
affects daily operations (ie service distruptions). And also that
those companies do go to LTA for courses.
According to newspaper reports, on that Jan distruption at
Tampines, people had no clue as to where to go. Ask station staff,
but recieved confusing information. Shuttle buses were nowhere to
be seen (ok lah, they came after a pathetic 5 mins). Compare this
with the ST/ZB picture of the Oct 97 Toa Payoh switch incident,
ST/ZB had a photo of a line of SBS buses waiting outside Bishan
station.
The Jan distruption also shows something, so what if they give
maintenance courses to other companies, they aint doing things
right themselves. Luckily the $387,176 fine given wasn't
successfully appealed.
For those with a interest in satire, listen to Mr Brown show
about SMRT's win of the award.
I do believe that the topic on "which is better" comes from
personal opinions. There is no absolute hard concrete evidence to
show that SMRT sucks and SBST rocks. Even for the January incident,
how far can one show that SMRT sucks?
I believe, the only way to show how good a company is is to
conduct public surveys on the general public. I'm not sure how the
public have perceptions of both transport companies, but their
feedback is like gold for any company that wishes to improve their
service.
True enough, people request for more trips during peak hour and
lunchtime, SMRT gave it to them.
In the past there were people complaining about SBST's frequency
too. SBST implemented them too.
However, do note that SBST's 7 minute block frequency can be so
accurate due to their computerised systems. SMRT drivers base on a
system that only shows them the timing they should arrive at the
next station that is in the driver's cab. If the TO stops too long
at a station due to a vast amount of passengers boarding, he'll be
late the rest of the journey.
I'd like to open a question here, to anyone, if they have seen
how SBST trains operate, and how they are able to achieve this 7
minute block-frequency so accurately (of course, not mentioning
their dual-communication system between train and OCC).
I'm not trying to glorify SMRT's name here, neither am I
condemning SBST. They do have their own flaws and good sides, but
it is just that how the public perceives them. I've said it before,
many many times, that there are a fixed number of trains running on
service on the NSL or the EWL. So if Train A and B have a long
waiting time apart, Train B and C will have a shorter time. Someone
asked a stupid question before, to me, and asked if trains do
disappear halfway through their journey, during off-peak, that is.
Answer is NO. A big NO NO. The number of trains on the NSL during
off-peak that runs full round trips remain at
19 since last year, I'm not sure if it has been increased. So it
does not make any sense if anyone were to be so biased enough and
say that SMRT operates trains at 10-minute frequency
throughout. The whole length of the NSL (in terms of minutes)
is 61x2 + 2x2 (stopover time at terminus stations) which is
126 minutes. Divide that by 19 trains running throughout and
you get an average of 6.63 minutes. Hence if a train differs
from the next by 10 minutes, the next will differ from the next
next by 7- (10-7). It works both ways.
Someone pointed out before that yes, SMRT trains fetch a
larger percentage of the population to work than SBST
trains, and I have to admit that SMRT has not been able to see that
their 7 minute block frequency is outdated. It's high time they
reduce it to 3.5 to 4.5 minute differences.
To many, it seems that everytime they ask for more trips, it
doesn't come immediately. I can understand their frustrations, but
a point I wish to highlight is that SMRT only has 106 trains
running throughout 3 lines (NSL, EWL and CGL) and at any time of
the day, like buses, there will be at least 2 in each of the 3
depots that are doing servicing, and following the
refurbishment plan 4 will be in Bishan Depot at any time. It means
10 trains will be off the list, which gives 96. Minus that by 2-3
trains on the CGL and you get 93. 93 to be shared by 2 lines gives
46.5. Note that this is the maximum number you get assuming
no train otherwise suffers breakdowns.
46 trains per line can operate, but the cost will be very high.
I believe the ideal number during off peak should be set at 25-29,
with peak hours an addition of 10. 29 trains for off peak means
that trains operate at 4.3 minute frequencies which is already very
good.
So my point here is, it will take some time for SMRT to evaluate
the situation and give the best and most beneficial and effective
change to the train system to try to help resolve the crowding
problems. Of course people argue that "why not just put trains
running throughout the whole-day", but my question is, "are you
willing to absorb the rise in cost"? SMRT has to think of dual
effects on their decisions; 1) the passengers and 2) their
shareholders. By absorbing $5 million from the addition of 360
train trips during lunchtime it is already a disadvantage on them.
If they were to run full day train trips on 3 minute frequencies it
would totally kill them. Yes, they earn massive amounts of profits
every year, but they go to 1) maintanence of trains and tracks, 2)
salaries for their employees and 3) payout to shareholders. There
can be more, I assure you.
Note that I use
NSL as an example because it is deem more populated than the EWL
because it gives direct links to the city.
To ZP (sBs_boy): Your 90-second frequency claim has to be
either when SMRT just started and only had very few stations to
operate or you were talking about peak hour. Peak hour possible to
have 90-second frequency for a stretch of stations, but off-peak it
isn't possible for full round trips. Your response to SBS2695H
seems to imply that in the past, SMRT operated trains whole-day at
90-second frequencies. Which is not possible unless you
were talking about in the 1980s or early 1990s when train
service just begun and there was lesser number of stations
throughout. Even so, they only had 66 C151 trains and their C651
trains only came in during the period of 1994-1995. Not possible
otherwise simply because if you were to add the total travelling
time on both lines (126 + 128 on the EWL in minutes) and divide
that by 1.5 minutes you get 169 trains, which exceeds the 106
train-fleet SMRT has.