3/07/2013

Janil Puthucheary – best speech in Parliament



Janil’s call for free public transport at pre peak hours was touted as the best speech in Parliament. Many MPs are out in full support of his suggestion that between 7am to 7.45am travelling in public transport should be free to ease congestion. I also support free transportation. Who doesn’t?

But this is a very bad idea, an idea that is floated without much thinking. Do the MPs know that even before 7am the trains are already full, may not be as jam packed as peak hours, but with very little room for more? I am not sure about buses. This only shows that the MPs are all living in lala land.

What could happen when travelling is free as proposed? All the foreign workers will jam up the train as it would mean saving or earning another dollar or so, which is big money to them, for being earlier by half an hour or one hour. Who would be the victims, our school children, especially the girls. With the trains packed with foreign workers because it is free, the sex starved foreign workers, in big numbers, are likely to behave wildly. Just for this reason alone, the idea should be stuffed.

The rest of the commuters who tried to wake up earlier to avoid the crowd will end up being squeezed like peak hours. It defeats the whole purpose to encourage people to be a bit early to beat the crowd. The pre peak hours, when free, will be worst than peak hour rush.

I know I shoot and post with very little thinking. But this proposal is a sign of lack of thinking, no thinking at all. I would suggest to the MPs to take the train before 7am and check out for themselves and then think how it would be like when it is free.

The best suggestion in Parliament actually came from Baey Yam Keng. While all the MPs are caught up in the foreigners taking over our PMET jobs, he was so cool to talk about food as a unifying factor for unifying the people. Cool. Definitely this idea is better than free travelling in pre peak hours.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

RB, actually 7 to 7.45 especially 7.30 to 7.45 already peak hour liao and packed like sardine already. Knn

so1trg said...

I think u think a step ahead of the useless MPs whom we spend $15k of our budget each month to feed each one.

Anyhow Hantam said...

Exactly. These were the points I inferred in my 'tongue in cheek' post in my blog:

http://anyhowhantam.blogspot.sg/2013/03/janil-puthucheary-is-very-free.html

Hmm, maybe not so tongue in cheek after all.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Good morning Sir, welcome to the blog. The problem with that kind of proposal is so obvious. And for so many MPs to fall for it, my God.

Anonymous said...

That is why I keep on telling my friends PAP can no longer attract talent, I mean real talent to the team. The quality of the current members is questionable. More "Yes" men that talent. Bring in more civil servants and military generals and the game is over. Period!

Virgo49 said...

This Putu guy and the rest of the MPs where got take MRT/buses at this hour.

So try to act as goodman and throw some bones to the dogs suggest this idea.

The said...

Ask this MP to do National Service and deliver babies for free. Then he can talk.

Anonymous said...

@ March 07, 2013 9:11 am
/// That is why I keep on telling my friends PAP can no longer attract talent, I mean real talent to the team. ///

Note to Traitors:
Don't confuse a yes man with a talent.

"I am my own man.
I will await the Prime Minister to tell me where else I can serve."

Question:
Is this a talent?
Is this a "well qualified" candidate for political office?
What do you think?

Anonymous said...

Hi rb,

This proposal is a reflection of the poor state of affairs in this so called first world. Its like throwing inedible crumbs at starving peasants. Using buckets to put out a raging forest fire.

It would be most appalling if such a hare-brained idea is implemented. I wouldn't discount it completely.

But, I don't think it would see the light of day.

- SMRT and SBS would object
- the Minister would lose face
- this could lead to other freebies to ease congestions/constraints and the likes
- the people do not think it would help

Then again I could be wrong. Its the perfect ploy to increase fares for peak hours with reduced fares for off-peak travels. Result. Net increase in revenues. Congestions??? What were you thinking of?

faber

Anonymous said...

Have you all seen Tokyo trains, Hong Kong trains all even more packed like sardines? Compared to them, ours can pack at least 30%more. The best is we are hit with a major depression and all jobs gone. Then mrt will be less jam and people will complain less.

Anonymous said...

So when people eat shit and we drink urine means we are ok?

Anonymous said...

It shud be free travel at peak hours, free so no right or reason to complain.
Off peak, more space and maybe seats too, so pay for the better travel.
As for sexual desire, the writer seems t o think that sinkies have less. But recent sexual offences news makers seemed to indicate more sinky offenders than foreigners leh. Is there bias treatment against foreign workers ?.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

The difference is consenting adults or willing buyer and willing seller. Not rape or molest without consent.

Anonymous said...

It should be made free at all hours. It is so crowded, smelly, lousy and heavily subsidised by the gov. It will make travelling on public transport more desirable for the working class. Once it is not a profit oriented company, it can focus more on improving services, timeliness and doing charity. The money can come from COE, ERP, budget surplus.
Pls do not compare to cumtress like Japan and HK cos their PM is not paid millions.

Anonymous said...

Many of the characteristics of psychopaths are shared by politicians — they include having virtually no conscience, no control, no guilt, no empathy and no remorse. They are also very egocentric, very dishonest, as well as being both callous and ruthless, and virtually immune to anxiety. They are very happy to indulge in behaviour that makes others soffocated, molested, raped. The crowded mrt and buses is a good example.

Anonymous said...

I'm a Singaporean girl and I do think you have a good point to make just that I take issue with you describing male foreign workers like rapists. Yes they are probably lonely as they have left their family to come to Singapore to build our country, but we should not propagate the idea that they are all molesters waiting for an opportunity.