9/07/2010

What is $1b?

We are so rich now that throwing up a number like $1b seems nothing. And what can $1b buy? A signalling system for the MRT to get the trains travel faster and to move people faster. That's all. What can $1b do to SBS Transit? For one, they have ordered 600 brand new and 'all environmentally friendly and Euro V compliant' buses at a total cost of $268m! $1b could actually buy 2000 of such modern buses for the road. The signalling system better be worth the money.

14 comments:

  1. The signaling system will be worth the $1b. For the election sweetener, that is.

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  2. By the way, can he really walk the talk? He can fart, but does he have the clout to commit that kind of money?

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  3. $1b??..spoken by someone's related to $600k peanut who promised $100m carrot

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  4. A $1b signalling system! It must be from heaven, designed by immortals.

    Would any of you spend this kind of money just for the trains to travel 1 minute faster?

    And $60b or $600b to expand the MRT network! How much did GIC and Temasek combined, manage?

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  5. $1b or $60b or $600b, no problem as long as it serves its purpose of buying the votes.

    The toss up figures for projects
    need not necessarily materialise.

    We have learned a lot from 'goal 2010', 'more good years' and 'no one will be left behind'.

    Just treat that as a dream that may or may not come true.

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  6. Why are singaporeans so cynical ?

    Bitten too many times ?

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  7. No. Too many own goals. Gohkeeper can talk, never delivers.

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  8. What?

    1 billion friggin' bucks just to tweak the scheduling and synchronizing system to squeeze a couple more trips to cater for the foreign trash so they can be packed more into the sardine can, crushing natives in the process?

    I suggest we use that l billion Singgit to make up for the lost GDP contribution of the foreign trash to be sacked and pack them home asap.

    Then our MRT system would run as before. Roomy and free of foreign trash cackle just like the old days.

    That sounds more soothing to me.

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  9. Aahhh, finally someone understands the meaning of $1b! Spending this money on a signalling system is like spending $50k for a cooking class.

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  10. When money is reduced to peanuts, this is the kind of mentality you get. Please count how many peanuts are there in $1b. Still quite a handful or bucket full you know.

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  11. Indeed $1b is nothing, especially when SMRT realized late in the game they bought the wrong signalling system for their north south line. The current Westinghouse system is incapable of shorter inter train durations than the current 3 minutes.

    Rest assured smrt will recoup the costs through fare increases. Again, citizens are made to pay for their mistakes.

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  12. When the mentality is OPM, other people will pay for it, let's go for the best, money no issue.

    Sure, the commuters will have to pay for the $1b plus profit.

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  13. 'yang mao zhu zai yang sheng shang' which is to say the money will have to come from suckers.

    Another way to look at it means its the people that will be fleeced, flayed and flogged.

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  14. Haha

    Someone will say, you deserve the Government you voted for.

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