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4/17/2013
The free ride is an historical break through
Since the 1960s when many things were free though the country was poor, with very little or nothing in the national reserves, it is a big thing today to have free travel on the MRT even with conditions. In those days, there were free medical and dental for students and the citizens, some enjoy free school fees, some had free food, free tuition by volunteers, free movies, not having to pay to visit Pulau Blankang Mati, free visits to the museums etc etc. Many things were free then.
The free travel on the MRT must have taken many by surprise, and many must still be skeptical and wondering how the Govt will be taking back from them through some other ways.
I was skeptical too when this was first proposed by Janil Puthucheary. I was afraid that it would shift the jam in the train to an earlier hour when school children will be going to schools. My fear will be the hordes of foreign workers jamming the trains for the free ride. I can understand how important it is to them. Every dollar saved is a big deal and plenty of money to them.
The introduction of this free travel comes with some modifications which will target the cause of the morning rush hours, ie, office workers all going one way, to the heart of the city. The administrators have done some thinking and fine tuned the proposal to just address the office crowd going into the city. Commuters not going into the city would not benefit from the free travel scheme. This in a way will not lead to a mad rush when everyone will want to take advantage of the free travel and jam the train in the early hours of the day. Those travelling from the East to the West or vice versa or to other parts of the island will not be affected by this free travel in any significant way.
The solution is tailor made and hopefully it will help to relieve the problems of peak hour travel but not contributing too much to early morning jams for the early birds. The one year trial period should give the administrators time to review and tweak the system further to achieve its aim of freeing the train a little and give the commuters more breathing space.
What is important here is paradigm shift, a change in the thinking of the govt. You don’t need too clever leaders but leaders with ideas to improve the lives of the people. With so much money collected to ease traffic congestion, giving a little back in free travel for a good reason needs not be tabooed. Let the administrators or civil servants work out the details to make a new idea work. There is a separation of roles, with the leaders brainstorming ideas to serve the people and the administrators or civil servants doing the nitty gritty. It should not be the leaders or Govt meddling with the nitty gritty when they don’t really have the time for it, given the spread of their portfolios and the limited time they have on hand. Think housing…think immigration, think 6.9m, think economic growth….
And if this free train ride is successful, it only costs the govt $10m. Quite cheap for a solution to make travelling a bit more pleasant for the commuters. There are many things that the Govt can do to make life better for the citizens without incurring a walloping sum of money like hundreds of millions. What is $10m anyway?
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What is $10m? It is less than one engine on our new fighter jet from USA. The Army will not even blink an eye. Dont forget we paid $1b to SMRT OK?
ReplyDeleteHi RB
ReplyDeleteAll German cities have metro free ride 24x7. The superiority of Germanic culture is fully manifested. I have worked in both Munich and Berlin.
True German are racist, but the "German racist type" are unique in the whole planet that they take good care of their own people.
The German metro system work like this. They are still selling the ticket. But the ticket gate is open 24x7. You can choose to tap your ticket for fare deduction.
The concept of the system is if you are poor, we dont charge you. If you have monies, the government expect you to be honest.
And 100% of my German colleagues PAY.
The virtue of German can be attribute to a very noble elite class.
German elites unlike PAP do not try to masturbate people's mind. It want to make German as clever as possible. In Germany kids are educated to the highest human value as possible. In SG, kids are taught to compete, aka kill your friends. Kids are taught to lie, to be dishonest, to backstab friends, to shit on buddies. We have a shit culture today, not far from India.
PAP market its "free ride" as a big thing. This shows how shameless PAP is. PAP has never seen how German works.
Thanks for sharing information about the German system. Our "No Free Lunch" system is a little different from the Germans. Over here, the rich tend to be more stingy and selfish. They have no qualms squeezing the poor to enrich themselves, hence the ever widening income gap. There is much our elites can learn from the Germans, but only if they can shake off the "we are the best" mentality
DeleteThis is what MP Janil Puthucheary, who first mooted the idea,has to say as reported in the straits Times:
ReplyDelete"Nothing is truly free. If it works, then we will have to think of how to pay for this in the long term."
Sinkie are really daft! So easily conned.
The Govt has collected so much from all kinds of schemes on transportation. They definitely can spare a miserable $10m without having to crawl back.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Germans they take care of their people for sure. Out Govt may take care of our people when our people are seen as superior stock like the Germans. Unfortunately our stocks are daft. Wait till they have all been replaced by talented foreigners then we may have free ride for all the talented new citizens. Likely?
I agree.
ReplyDeleteGermans are loyal to each other.
After World War Two, the world regarded Germany as East & West Germany.
But to any Germans, there is only one Germany.
And when the chance presented itself, the West Germans re-integrate their modern economy with the East Germans at great cost & difficulty to their economy.
Do you think there will be a unified Germany today, if a PAPig was the West German leader when the Berlin Wall came down?
Do you think there will be a unified Singapore if PAPigs continue to rule Singapore?
I have written to the authorities a few years back to implement free bus and train rides 24/7 for all, and now this new MP is credited for proposing these limited free/discounted rides. Sigh.......
ReplyDeleteBeat the system. If your stop is not of the16 stations, get 2 cards. Use 1. Alight at 1 of the 16. Exit gantry and enter again using the other card. New, shorter trip. Save money!
ReplyDeleteVeritas, as can be seen in 5.15 pm post,mu are right
ReplyDeleteOur commuting system is all wrong. In German cities, all roads other than small lorongs have cyclist track. The Germans cycle to work, save $ protect environment.
ReplyDeleteThere is good "bicycle parking" inside most company compound. My former software team lead in Germany cycle to work despite being able to afford car.
Last week in Shanghai, I saw a lot of cyclist track in the city. PRC government is doing the right thing.
The ONLY major city in the world without infrastructure for cyclist is Singapore.
PAP policy is to rent seek us. To make everything expensive to make $$$. If you protect the environment and reduce traffic jam by using bike, everyone is happy, PAP is not happy.
KNN.
RB, how can lose 10 million. Every cent count u know. The govt should get the money back somewhere like up gst by another 1% to help. No free lunch here ok
ReplyDeleteChee bye PAP throw S$10 millions for reliving our commuting troubles, she want to spend a total of USD6 billions on one fucking squadron of F35.
ReplyDeleteKNNBCCB
The F- fuckin -35 is able to fund our transport subsidy for 600 years.
6-0-0 FUCKING YEARS.
Vote out PAP in GE 2016.
ReplyDeleteAnd save the Singapore taxpayers US$6 billion dollars.
And even more in future losses in our sovereign funds?
They should implement the ERP way of controlling the flow by increasing the fare at peak hour. the best is before 2016.
ReplyDeleteMBT should open his fucking mouth and say 'this is raiding on the reserves'.
Are investment losses at TummySick Holdings a raid on our reserves?
ReplyDeleteTwo of the largest and strongest economies that is usa and Germany kept more than 70% of their reserve in gold but sinkie land kept I think mainly in us treasuries toilet paper. Cause that one pay a few % in interest whereas gold rely totally on capital gain. One must ask the question why the two countries do not buy other countries currency to earn a few %. Instead they keep issuing toilet paper and use them to buy real physical assets and companies but kept their reserve in gold.
ReplyDeleteThis scheme seems to have some desired effects. This morning when I drove the train from terminal station Pasir Ris @0615 hrs, the whole train was full - meaning no more seats left. Some of the pax were standing. Previously, it was not like that. Imagine even at the terminal station, the trains are already filled with pax even at 0615 hrs.
ReplyDeleteAs for Germany, I've got some German frens. We used to talk and discuss our diff social systems. They admire our diversity, unique Spore identity. Of course their welfare is so much better than ours in terms of workers' welfare, rights, citizens benefits etc. The Germans are also one of the strongest economy in Europe if not the world. Their car industry is formidable even though there are many cheap quality cars from other parts of the world.
Did the German economy collapse due to the so much welfare and benefits given to its citizens?
Hi Gintai, nice to have you back.
ReplyDeleteOh, the free ride scheme will only come in on 24 June. What you are seeing is the normal morning pre peak hour peak. At those early hours the trains are already packed. It would be worst. But it would relieve some of the commuters from the later peak.
Me am of the view that the 'free' rides will exacerbate overloading and that will lead to more breakdowns of the train system. So to say commuters will be relieved of any congestion and henceforth discomfort and delay etc have yet to be proven. Train breakdowns will cause much inconveniences.
ReplyDeletepatriot
Thanks for sharing information about the German system. Our "No Free Lunch" system is a little different from the Germans. Over here, the rich tend to be more stingy and selfish. They have no qualms squeezing the poor to enrich themselves, hence the ever widening income gap. There is much our elites can learn from the Germans, but only if they can shake off the "we are the best" mentality
ReplyDeleteI have read writings of German elites. Even for German society today, many of these elites are painful that German is a nation of "carmaker and bankers". They remember fondly of the past Germany where she has "more things".
So what are we?
Germany is the strongest nation in Europe because her elites has lofty idealism and want to educate German as proud people.
LKY is a snake who want to make us stupid.
/// Gintai_昇泰 said...
ReplyDeleteThis scheme seems to have some desired effects. This morning when I drove the train from terminal station Pasir Ris @0615 hrs, the whole train was full - meaning no more seats left. ///
Must be those dumb commuters who cannot read. The free rides will only be implemented on 24 June. Jumping the gun, or jumping onto the tracks?
PAP already taken us for free ride many years.they able to do many things to benefit the people.They thought they will get the same support whatever they do.if more seats go to the oppositions more free service will be provided. So take note 2016
ReplyDeletePls do not compare spore to germany. Germany has Karl Marx and what does spore have? conyou?
ReplyDeleteFree rides mean more train delays will happen so everyone will hit their stations after 745am.
ReplyDeleteActually you can play a nice joke on these stingy free rider assholes.
ReplyDeleteYou allow them to enter the MRT and ride free.
However when it comes time for them to exit via the turnstiles, you charge them $10!
As for cycling, I am an avid cyclist. I bike to work, and shopping -- if I'm buying day to day stuff, not heavy items of course. If I go out of the metro area, I usually attach the bike to the bike rack on my vehicle.
...but I DARE NOT ride in Singapore. My fucking god almighty...how people drive here is not only selfish, but damn dangerous. They don't give a flying fuck about cyclists. And what a shame. So many bike shops here selling very awesome bikes. I have a predilection to carbon fiber hard-tail mountain bikes, and the ones sold here are super sexy, at very good prices. But, no way -- I dare not ride on the main roads here in Singapore, and have immense respect for those who do!
Back to the "free" rides on MRT: It is BULLSHIT. They make sure they let you know about the cost. And very soon UP GO THE FARES, which means payers subsidise non-payers.
Surprised? I won't be.
/// Matilah_Singapura said...
ReplyDeleteActually you can play a nice joke on these stingy free rider assholes.
You allow them to enter the MRT and ride free.
However when it comes time for them to exit via the turnstiles, you charge them $10! ///
You obviously have not taken a ride on the MRT before. This is exactly how it operates now - commuters enter the MRT and ride free. They are only charged at the exit turnstiles.
@1132:
ReplyDelete>> They are only charged at the exit turnstiles.
Yes, but they can only enter if they have enough funds on their Ezy Link.
For free rides, I propose no presentation of Ezy Link on the entry turnstiles - just open and let the cattle in.
But on the exit turnstiles, pull the fast one there. Many will not have Ezy Link cards. A few broke fucks won't even have $10. Some will be fumbling for coins.
Enterprising hot slutty women might resort to allowing you to rabah their tetek -- 10 seconds for $10...and you might even see "competition" in this market when the PRCs and Pinoys enter the game and "undercut" the local gals by offering fondle tits and ass for $10, or 1 minute for $10... price competition is wonderful for the consumers!
In any case, there'll be massive chaos as people (cheapskates) start to garbra all over the shop.
>> You obviously have not taken a ride on the MRT before.
You obviously draw your conclusions very carelessly. Are you often wrong much in making life's decisions too? I hope so! ;-))
Matilah - what you are suggesting is just increasing the price - from $1 plus to $10. Period. Without a card you can get in - so forget about free. You always express yourself so badly when you are describing filth?
ReplyDelete;)
Free MRT rides will never be possible for the whole day. The government wants to ease up the peak hours not make sg a welfare state
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