updates and rants
December 6, 2011Hi all, I’m finally willing to update this place. After going missing for a month, I have finally found something to talk about. Well, first of all, my life has been mundane as usual. The first semester has come and gone, my first exam in 3 years has also gone by. Time seems to fly these days. Been in the holiday mood which means I’ve been engaging myself in meaningless activities these days.
Anyway, what got me to blog today was this.
Yes. A cab got me to blog, or more specifically the fare revision that Comfort is initiating. The fare revision has led to plenty of complains from citizens. First the MRT and bus fares were raised. Then COE’s hit record high and now cab fares look set to be higher. To be fair, I find the revision of fares for cabs more justified then that of SMRT and SBS. I personally find that the fare revision does help our taxi drivers who put in long hours and bring home little. Sure some may be brutes but most I’ve met are nice people trying to make a living. Although SMRT and SBS continue to post record profits, fares are constantly revised and standards seem to be getting from bad to worse. Crowded trains that sometimes take years to come, continuous breakdowns/track-faults and worn down buses do not seem to justify the fare hike as much as the revision in cab fares.
Although it may seem like a complain against fare increases in general, it does seem to mask many cracks underneath. Aside from exposing the flaws in our public transport system, it does also make the ruling party seemingly unconcerned about the lives of its citizens.
Fare hikes, unreliable and crowded trains aside, Singapore has not managed to efficiently deal with the need for transport. The most effective mode of transportation has to be one’s personal transport. However, owning a car is exceedingly expensive in the government’s attempt to regulate the number of cars on the road. Taking the public transport is often seen as a hassle and the ‘not-so-efficient’ public transport system has increased the desire for one to own a car and hence elevating the price and promoting it to a status symbol instead of a mode of transportation. However, motor vehicles are not the only form of personal transport available. Bicycles too can be a form of transportation. Sadly, Singapore isn’t a very bicycle friendly country and I personally feel that it can go a long way in helping to move people. Perhaps if Singapore had developed proper facilities for bicycles, our reliance on the public transport system and cars would now be reduced.
All these complains about fare hikes seem to generate plenty of discourse about the government and whether or not they are doing their job. Prices all around seem to be rising and the government’s promises during the GE seem to be falling short at the moment. True that salaries have increased but it was seemingly insignificant. A general rise of about $200 per household only equates to about $100 per person. With inflation at almost 5%, is there really a rise in real wages? Rising cost of living seemed to be the hot topic during the May’s GE and it seems that nothing much has been done to help alleviate the problem. As I have pointed out previously, the government seems to have put up a false front during the GE as prices continue to soar. Nothing much seems to have been done regarding the crowded trains and with the new cab price revision more complains are set to come. I have been told that perhaps what can be done about the cab fare revision is that help be given directly to the taxi drivers by lowering rental etc. Indeed that might be one way to go, but it is only a short term solution. More has to be done for the long term or the government may find themselves in trouble come 2015.
