‘Cheaper rides and shorter waiting time. This is the promise of ride hailing platform Grab, which announced its dynamic pricing model for taxi fares yesterday.’ Today paper.
Too good to believe but it is true, up to a point. This is what they called dynamic pricing and will adjust according to demand. LTA is also sold on the concept and has approved the formula. And other taxi companies are also jumping into this bandwagon. Who does not want to drive and charge according to demand? How does this square up to cheaper rides and shorter waiting time? Can demand and supply of taxis be fixed by the drivers? This is a big question.
But enjoy the cheap ride with shorter waiting time if this can be real. It means drivers are more efficient and willing to collect lesser far and to provide faster service. That is the promise. What is not promise is surge pricing, not sure about shorter waiting time, but very sure the price would surge. This reminded me of the time when telco companies could charge cheap packages but load on unlimited charges should the usage surge pass the limit of the package with some victims, especially the children and the ah mahs being charged hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Luckily this scourge was clamped down and a more decent formula to charge for usage exceeding a package was introduced. How could such practices be allowed, only god knows, but not before many fell victims and were a few hundred or thousand dollars poorer.
Another lucky thing about such unacceptable practice creeping into this surge thing is that there is now a cap of $60 for a trip. Not sure how this works, but I believe at most the damage would be $60 before the passenger is booted out. Would this happen, could this happen when the driver saw the meter hitting above $60 and knowing that he could not bill the passenger the additional charges?
The devil is when it is out in practice and how drivers circumvent this to their advantage. This is another good thing happening in the taxi business, not sure who is going to benefit from this scheme, the drivers or the passengers. Would the same scenario be repeated, off peak hours, all the taxis went hiding and reappear during surge period?
Oh, the $60 taxi fare is going to be a new normal. Still very cheap relative to the European and first world cities. So much be something very affordable to the rich Singaporeans.
3/22/2017
Water pricing no need rocket scientist
A person needs just so much water to clean himself and so much water to drink daily. Many are already using the minimum to keep themselves clean and not smelly, and drink just enough to be alive. Should these people be forced to cut down using the little amount of water they are using now with this 30% tax hike to remind them that water is a strategic asset, a national security asset? Which clowns are making such unreasonable demands on the poor people trying to be alive? It is nonsense, it is cruel, wicked and insane to make such demands on the people already living with the bare minimum to be slammed with a 30% price increase.
You don’t need a rocket scientist to explain to the clowns that people need a minimum amount of water to live and to clean themselves for basic hygiene needs. But the clowns are so thick that they could not understand this. And now a foreign talent could not tahan their stupidity, and the media in agreement, had to publish his thoughts to remind the clowns that this foreign talent could not take it anymore. And the reasons given are simple common sense that any daft sinkie would also know.
Dr Jochen Krauss said this as reported in the Today paper, ‘A fair system needs to differentiate users.’ Can understand this or not? He added, ‘But it is the Government’s responsibility to ensure the lower income can afford and have access to water….At some point, households will not be able to reduce their water consumption any further.’ Why thoughtlessly hike the price of water across the board to hit the lower income households who are struggling to pay the water bill with another 30% increase? Is this a responsible thing to do for a govt that claimed to be caring, compassionate and ‘thinking’ because it is all so talented? Where is the thinking, where is the compassion, where is the caring? I can’t find them, can you?
This Dr Jochen must be so exasperated to find the nonsensical logic being shafted down the people’s throat thinking that the people cannot see the silliness of the reasoning and had to say it out. Be sensible and responsible, and stop hitting the poor and lower income households with a sledgehammer. Super talent? Caring? All inclusive, no one being left out? Oops, yes all inclusive, no one being left out from this 30% hike, all must kena taxed and made to know the price of water even when they are using the bare minimum.
Should not there be a reward for people who are already using the bare minimum, who already knew the value of water, and are saving this precious water, not wasting them? The thinking of this policy is that these people also must be made to feel the price of expensive water regardless of whether they know or did not know. This is the same kind of silly totalitarian thinking like when one person went to Batam to spend his money then all the CPF members must be punished.
The truth is that they are just finding excuses to keep the people from their CPF money. And in this water hike case they just want to tax more, to collect more money. They cannot be so stupid not to know how nonsensical and unreasonable is the logic and the policy. They are punishing the very responsible people who have been cutting down on wastage of water over the years.
Stupidity has no cure.
3/21/2017
The mad, irresponsible and dangerous Americans planning war with North Korea
This unthinkable scenario is going to happen if the world does not stop this madness in Washington, to ever think of war in Asia, to attack a country that did not do anything against anyone except to develop its own defence capability to prevent an attack by the Americans that were conducting war games almost daily at its door. It is the right of every nation state to develop and arm itself against an attack by another country. It is criminal to conduct war against another country under the pretext of protecting and defending itself. No one is going to attack the USA. No one is mad enough to think that he could get away from such a hostile act. The North Koreans are not mad. It is the Americans in the White that are mad. They want war, wars and more wars just because they have superiority in weapons to attack anyone at will.
What kind of stupidity is existing in the White House when the North Koreans are not easy meat like the Arab countries. Once a hostile act is committed by the Americans, the North Koreans would have nothing to restrain them from launching everything they got into South Korea and Japan. Millions would be annihilated overnight in North East Asia. The region would be contaminated with nuclear radioactive particles that would spread to China, Russia and eventually to the USA as well.
The world must stop the mad men in Washington from their irresponsible intent to start another war. The Americans have been agitating wars, provoking wars, starting wars everywhere, the worst in the Middle East, and the whole world allowed it to happen with impunity. This time this war against North Korea is not child’s play. It is not a one way war whereby the Americans are doing the attack and the North Koreans being sitting duck. They would retaliate with their nuclear weapons and North East Asia would be finished. The Americans did not care a hoot about whether they would still be a South Korea or a Japan left should it attack North Korea.
Russia and China must made it known categorically that they would not allow it to happen and it would be the start of WW3. Russia and China cannot allow the Americans to attack one of their allies and not doing anything. An attack on North Korea would be an attack on Russia and China. If they did not act, they would be next to be wiped out by the mad and war mongering Americans. They would have no more allies as no country would think they would be safe from an attack by the Americans for being friends or allies of Russia and China.
On the other hand would the Japanese and South Koreans allow this American madness to risk being attacked by nuclear weapons from North Korea when the Americans strike first?
Where is the UN, the countries of the world, to stand up to this primitive country that only believes in wars, killings and the destruction of other countries? A war against North Korea would be the end of this world. Americas would not be safe in a nuclear fallout from East Asia. Russia and China must put their foot down and tell the Americans in clear and unmistakable language, in no uncertain terms, that any attack on North Korea would be an attack on Russia and China and it would be war with the Americans. Failing to do so would be the beginning of their own demise in international politics.
Only the mad, dangerous and irresponsible Americans are toying with the idea of war everyday thinking they could get away with murders. The Americans are the only mad people that still think war is an option to keep the Evil Empire going. The North Koreans are not weak and defenceless Arab nations. And they have Russia and China to fight on their side. Don’t kid yourself that the Russians and Chinese are so stupid to sacrifice their ally for the sake of American hegemony and world dominance.
The people of the world and the Americans must act now to stop this madness in Washington and the White House unless they don’t mind being war collaterals with nuclear radio active particles falling over their heads. There is no where to run, no where to hide if WW3 explodes.
What kind of stupidity is existing in the White House when the North Koreans are not easy meat like the Arab countries. Once a hostile act is committed by the Americans, the North Koreans would have nothing to restrain them from launching everything they got into South Korea and Japan. Millions would be annihilated overnight in North East Asia. The region would be contaminated with nuclear radioactive particles that would spread to China, Russia and eventually to the USA as well.
The world must stop the mad men in Washington from their irresponsible intent to start another war. The Americans have been agitating wars, provoking wars, starting wars everywhere, the worst in the Middle East, and the whole world allowed it to happen with impunity. This time this war against North Korea is not child’s play. It is not a one way war whereby the Americans are doing the attack and the North Koreans being sitting duck. They would retaliate with their nuclear weapons and North East Asia would be finished. The Americans did not care a hoot about whether they would still be a South Korea or a Japan left should it attack North Korea.
Russia and China must made it known categorically that they would not allow it to happen and it would be the start of WW3. Russia and China cannot allow the Americans to attack one of their allies and not doing anything. An attack on North Korea would be an attack on Russia and China. If they did not act, they would be next to be wiped out by the mad and war mongering Americans. They would have no more allies as no country would think they would be safe from an attack by the Americans for being friends or allies of Russia and China.
On the other hand would the Japanese and South Koreans allow this American madness to risk being attacked by nuclear weapons from North Korea when the Americans strike first?
Where is the UN, the countries of the world, to stand up to this primitive country that only believes in wars, killings and the destruction of other countries? A war against North Korea would be the end of this world. Americas would not be safe in a nuclear fallout from East Asia. Russia and China must put their foot down and tell the Americans in clear and unmistakable language, in no uncertain terms, that any attack on North Korea would be an attack on Russia and China and it would be war with the Americans. Failing to do so would be the beginning of their own demise in international politics.
Only the mad, dangerous and irresponsible Americans are toying with the idea of war everyday thinking they could get away with murders. The Americans are the only mad people that still think war is an option to keep the Evil Empire going. The North Koreans are not weak and defenceless Arab nations. And they have Russia and China to fight on their side. Don’t kid yourself that the Russians and Chinese are so stupid to sacrifice their ally for the sake of American hegemony and world dominance.
The people of the world and the Americans must act now to stop this madness in Washington and the White House unless they don’t mind being war collaterals with nuclear radio active particles falling over their heads. There is no where to run, no where to hide if WW3 explodes.
3/20/2017
Singaporeans, PRs, locals, residents?
Read a front page article in thenewpaper talking about Jobless graduates
and the numbers of locals unemployed, residents unemployed but not a word
mentions about Singaporeans or PRs. What is a local, what is a resident? A
Singaporean, a non Singaporean, a PR or a foreigner that happened to work
here? Who cares?
Who cares about locals or residents? What a true blue Singaporean would be
concerned about would be the well being of Singaporeans, whether they are
happily employed or unhappily unemployed, under employed or retrenched.
This is what being Singaporean is all about. And isn’t this is what the
govt or people in govt should be concerned about?
Why are they mumbling about locals and residents? Are these some secret
codes that are used to confuse matters, to hide facts that are important to
Singaporeans? With all the numbers mentioned in the report, does any
Singaporean know how many Singaporeans are unemployed versus non
Singaporeans? Is this not the issue?
What is happening? What is the agenda? Does anyone want to know how many
Singaporeans are unemployed or retrenched? Locals, residents, what the
hell? These are meaningless terms unless we know what they are and what
portion or percentage is Singaporeans. Not talking about Singaporeans, not
wanting to say anything about Singaporeans is as good as not wanting to let
Singaporeans know, something to hide, something unpleasant to hide.
The fate of daft Sinkies is sealed but no one wants to talk about it. Not
saying it, not revealing it does not mean it will go away. Singaporeans
have a right to know what is the situation and whether they are being sold
to the karung guni man.
3/19/2017
Singapore Prison preparing for influx of senior citizens
The Singapore Prison Service retrofitted 25 cells with mobility-aid features like handrails, grab bars, anti-slip flooring and nurse call help button. State media Straits Times however attributed the double in elderly inmates due to an ageing population. – the Statestimes Review
The Statestimes Review also said, ‘Due to insufficient CPF retirement fund, Singaporean elderly are turning to crimes to get free lodging and food from the prison. According to state media Straits Times, the number of elderly prisoners above the age of 60 have doubled in the past 5 years from 359 at 2.8% of the prison population in 2012, to 651, or 5.3%,in 2016.’
With no jobs, no money, little CPF savings, Medisave as good as untouchable for minor illnesses that did not incur more than a few thousand dollars, the senior citizens are just following the trend of developed western countries like the USA, commit minor crimes to get free lodging, free food and free medical from the prison institutions.
The Singapore Prison is quite forward thinking, thinking ahead, planning ahead to cater for this new trend. Unfortunately 25 cells may not be enough given the size of the senior citizen population now about 1m and growing. The Prison authority should be more generous in the expansion of facilities for the seniors that are planning to make the prison their permanent home. A couple of blocks of HDB flats may be the solution and may shall be inadequate in view of the rising demand.
Senior citizens are getting innovative and creative in planning for their retirement, in the comfort of Changi Prison, everything taken care of. And the facilities have been upgraded to make sure they did not slip and fall. Comforting thought.
The Statestimes Review also said, ‘Due to insufficient CPF retirement fund, Singaporean elderly are turning to crimes to get free lodging and food from the prison. According to state media Straits Times, the number of elderly prisoners above the age of 60 have doubled in the past 5 years from 359 at 2.8% of the prison population in 2012, to 651, or 5.3%,in 2016.’
With no jobs, no money, little CPF savings, Medisave as good as untouchable for minor illnesses that did not incur more than a few thousand dollars, the senior citizens are just following the trend of developed western countries like the USA, commit minor crimes to get free lodging, free food and free medical from the prison institutions.
The Singapore Prison is quite forward thinking, thinking ahead, planning ahead to cater for this new trend. Unfortunately 25 cells may not be enough given the size of the senior citizen population now about 1m and growing. The Prison authority should be more generous in the expansion of facilities for the seniors that are planning to make the prison their permanent home. A couple of blocks of HDB flats may be the solution and may shall be inadequate in view of the rising demand.
Senior citizens are getting innovative and creative in planning for their retirement, in the comfort of Changi Prison, everything taken care of. And the facilities have been upgraded to make sure they did not slip and fall. Comforting thought.
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