Kranji MRT Station bus stop mess

For many Singaporeans rarely takes public transport to JB, the Kranji MRT Station is the main gateway for people to cross the border with SBS Sv 160, 170 (Red plate), 170 (Blue plate) & CW1.

In any case the cheapest (After transfer rebate the fare payable is 41c), busiest and most frequent service is the SBS Sv 170 (blue plate), boarding point being the bus stop outside Kranji Stn.

The CW1 service is the most expensive to board at Kranji with $1.30 cash fare payable onboard. CEPAS cards are not accepted being a Malaysian bus.

On Fridays, the queue can be ultra long because many Malaysians working in Singapore would head back home to enjoy the typical weekend. The queue can be long due to two main reasons: passenger load and jam at Causeway.

The lorry jam that regularly occurs on Fridays creates more problem. As many lorry drivers does not leave a gap at the bus stop, passengers are forced to board/ alight beside the lorries along the road rendering the bus stop bay useless. This applies to those who boards Sv 160 & 170 (Red plate) to JB at the bus stop Opp Kranji Stn.

These passengers have to brave though being bulldozed by the lorries as they take no regard for human traffic (It's typical in Malaysia).

Actually this hazard to commuters isn't just isolated to Kranji MRT Station. The bus stops along Woodlands Rd (From Yew Tee onwards) are blocked by the formed up lorries. Commuters has to brave standing on the road and the lorries to wait for their buses.

Even the left turning facility to Kranji Rd at the Kranji Rd/ Turf Club Ave/ Woodlands Rd junction is blocked.

Then comes the security issue. Many commuters boarding at the Opp Kranji Stn bus stop refuse to queue in an orderly manner (possibly human mentality of wanting to board the early bus to get home). Then comes commuters pushing each other. I wonder has any commuter suffered being pickpocketed before.

I ever saw a group of them boarding the bus from the exit door and evaded payment. It's a chaos.

To me, such mess an security hazard towards public transport facilities.

I think this Kranji MRT station bus stop is the most outcast public transport facility in the entire Singapore in terms of orderly.

SMRT train vandalism & Singpost letter box.

I believe the MRT train vandalism case is in the minds of every Singaporean right now - be it over security lapses or the vandalism act itself.

Suddenly I'm reminded of the SingPost letterbox incident (graffiti for the YOG) some time back. Could the staff have taken the graffiti as an advertisement with the letterbox incident? No one would ever know though.

But the security lapses is the real killer. What if a bomb was planted or sabotaging acts was conducted instead? It might have destroyed the lives and aspirations of many people.

Hopefully a precise review would be made. There's no place for complacency over security issues to surface. Period.

Woodlands Waterfront park visit

Been busy the past few days.

Visited the newly opened Woodlands Waterfront park on Vesak day. I can say it's a well and nicely designed waterfront park.

It offers good sunset & Causeway view. Not to mention Johor Bahru is just right across. Good riddance as it used to be the Royal Malaysian Navy TRACOM (KD Malaya) until it moved out in Dec 1997.

The naval base issue: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/parliament/relations/annex2.htm

The only minus point is that the handphone signal could end up being routed to Malaysian line.

Counting down...

Been busy the past few weeks roaming around the island doing on - site bus stop operations. Generally the bus service standard is improving just some minor improvement is needed.

Time flies. It's left with 71 more days to National Day & 76 more days to Youth Olympic Game opening ceremony.

I'm quite happy that the KTM land and railway station issue is now settled. However it's till the railway operations is shifted to Woodlands Centre that would count.

Mmm. As it shifts, business at Woodlands Centre would improve and the need for SBS Sv 170 to town or to Kranji MRT Station.

MediaCorp Radio back online!

Yipee!

Now I can hear Live radio as I surf.

Details from CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1054844/1/.html

Why SMRT can't perform well compared to SBS

No doubt SMRT is very successful in its push to increase it's revenue using the retail concept. However it seems in the midst of it, SMRT has forgotten who it's serving for - Singaporeans and foreigners who has helped in creating this nation we call home. It has also not been listening to commuters who uses its services daily.

1) Circle Line performance: It's quite sad even with system testing, the peak hour short working trip passenger information is ridiculed with errors such as SMRT proclaiming Paya Lebar MRT Int as MRT terminating pt 8. SMRT has really made a record, Circle Line's peak hour frequency is 7 mins - the longest waiting time ever. It's even less frequent than the SBS Sv 70 that duplicates with the CCL from Serangoon to Nicoll Highway sector.

Neither are they seem to be serious over the dwell time issue. Some stations have too short dwell time. For example in ageing estates like Macpherson or Dakota, the dwell time is only for a ridiculous 5 seconds.

It seems this came from the manual NSL/ EWL dwell time mode. It has become a habit for SMRT TOs to press for the 'door closing' buzzer immediately once they open the door. At times if they 'like' it, they will want to hurry commuters by continuing to press the 'warning' buzzer even though many has not alighted (needless to mention elderly)! Is SMRT wanting to create a stampede before such act ceases?

2) NSL & EWL frequency: It has become to my personal attention that even the NEL has a more stable and more frequent MRT frequency during the rush hours. In fact I think overall SMRT's service standard of the MRT is really lagging behind Taipei MRT.

3) SMRT Bus operations: This is the weakest link of SMRT.

SMRT lacks in technology investment compared to SBS with the latter launching IRIS in Feb 2007.

SMRT lacks efficiency in planning bus schedules. It's no surprising why SMRT buses are speeding at 80kph that's way above the legal speed limit and yet unable to keep up with the allocated schedule. Needless to mention over issues such as beating red lights or unable to stop safely to pick up passengers at bus stops.

I've ever feedback to SMRT before, but no one cares. Only the bus driver gets punished, yet the roots is not erradicated. Is it SMRT must wait till accidents occur before anything would change?

It's a utter disgrace to the Singapore icon especially SMRT has always been used by our government as an 'role model' to China as a good transport operator.

The Singapore I knew was a foreward looking, well planned, efficient country. Yet it seems in the view of profits, everything is erroded. We're no more trailblazers anymore.

How is Singapore going to be able to survive with such service level is beyond me.

NTU public bus services to shift to new Boon Lay Int

Finally although it's kinda expected.

SBS will shift Svs 179 & 199 into the new Boon Lay Int on 8 May 2010. The move coincides with the ending of NTU's Acad Yr for 2009/ 2010.

SBS will resume Sv 179A's operation when NTU commences AY 2010/ 2011 on 30 Aug 2010.

SBS's official press release: http://www.sbstransit.com.sg/download/Svc179_179A_199_Relocate_to_new_BLI_300410.pdf