the great mrt debate

last SG · 2005-09-29T02:06:25+00:00

Sorry, it may not be New York, but there are other big city that has more than 1 operator, like Canada, Toronto ,the TTC.

leon_lai89 SG

shoud mrts be run by a company or two

sBs_boy SG

my answer is 2...
look at things now.. Frankly speaking, i like the way SBST runs NEL rather than SMRT running it.. so.. im in for 2 companies..

iveco SG

A subway monopoly is more efficient. Bus routes can be operated by a minimum of 3 companies, depending on the city’s size.

sbst275 SG

Subway monopoly can be efficient.. But if the dominating operators service standard is failing, I dun see why monopoly?

As for buses, in SG, we can't have 3 bus operators... End up pre-SBS era of not coodinated rts and worst, buses jamming the roads due to duplication

SBS9889U SG

2 companies

So there will be competition and service quality will be better.

medicheng SG

i will go for 2. 2 to complete for providing cheaper transport and increase quality of the services without repeating the bus routes.

as for mrt, two also. the final network will be quite big for a company to handle.

iveco SG

Melbourne's train netweok is bigger than ours, but it is run by a single company (Connex).

medicheng SG

oic. sorry wasn’t sure about it. thanks for the information.

sinicker SG

as of today, things should stay the way they are.

for future lines, i think all should be given to smrt to operate it as they are more experienced in the rail business.

lwflee SG

I think the market can decide for itself. What i don't want to see are half-baked attempts at state intervention.

I-like-flings(m) SG

1 or 2 got diff in sg??? there is no free competition at all.. so i really have 1 if not u will have to pay peanuts for 1 more CEO.. KNN Mr. Green

sbst275 SG

But since there are 2 operators now, the 'experienced' one seems to have failing service standard

sbst275 SG

Typical govt talk..

Say taxi, let market decide, by then, many operators could have wind down... The only reason they say this because they have license revenue to collect mah

medicheng SG

nope.. i think NEL, BTL and DTL should be handle by SBS since they already handle NEL. And they all are linked up together.

leon_lai89 SG

but the aim is to create a better transport network. having competitors killing each others throat is like damaging both their reputation

SBS9889U SG

Why not let the government decide?

lwflee SG

Now, as i have explained to you before, the MRT network and the taxi network is different. In the case of taxis, state intervention can actually result in a meaningful increase in competition.

sbst275 SG

Well, let's put it in another view

End up they give more license, isn't more revenue to them? They just care for their revenue collection

sBs_boy SG

I dont see them killing each other.. itz just like SBST controlling NE areas and SMRTB controlling NW areas.. is not as if BOth SBST and SMRT have trains that run parallal against each other on the NEL..

sBs_boy SG

Yes.. i do agree that SMRT had more years of Experiences running the LRT system.. BUT.. if you have given me a choice, i would rather have SBST running the Subway System in Singapore.. One might agree that they are still New in the Rail Business.. But, looking at things are now, tell you frankly, i would rather SBST runs the whole system.. at least, the way that they set the frequency, Services and all that are ALOT better than SMRT..