Most Incompetent Ministries/Stat Boards in Singapore
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My choice:
LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY
Perhaps the worst and most incompetent stat board to ever exist in Singapore. A list of fiascos that have transpired from within this stat board:
1. Upgrading of Bus Stops
Remember the fiasco couple of years back involving the upgrading of those old red rooftop bus stops? Solar-powered fans? Advertising billboards that slant one side thus blocking views of oncoming buses? Billboards with fluorescent lights generating so much heat at night the bus stop felt like a sauna?
And mind you, all these mistakes only surfaced after several millions of dollars of taxpayers' money had been spent installing them!!
2. Nicoll Highway Collapse
Lives lost. Road closure for 1 year. Traffic congestion at ECP. Cracks on buildings along Beach Road. Amazing you need a public inquiry to determine who is to be blamed when LTA has ultimate ownership of the entire project.
3. Suicide of Senior Engineer
Just a perfect attestation to the mindset of some of our senior bureaucrats, no less those from LTA who personifies the "top management knows best" attitude. Little people's views, no matter how valid, obviously do not count.
4. ERMS
Is it called ERMS? That gigantic electronic billboard that's supposed to forewarn drivers of any congestions on our major roads? Now tell me, what's the point of informing me there's a jam when I'm already in it? Enough said!
5. NEL
What's that phantom station on the NEL!!? Whoa, nobody told LTA that if you build a station above a cemetery in superstitious Singapore, you are guaranteed to have zero human traffic? Maybe they call it forward planning, I don't know.
6. NEL, again!
NEL to SBS Transit vs SMRT. What competition are you talking about when one line plies through estates not served by SMRT and both lines happen to be essential transport platforms for majority of Singaporeans. Don't get it? If you stay in Sengkang and want to get to Raffles Pl, you die die also must take the SMRT line because smart and profiteering SBS happened to cancel their bus services there! So what cost-savings is there??
7. Satellite Tracking System for Buses
This is something I can never understand. Why do you need a multi-billion project to monitor bus schedules when all it takes is commonsense? You know, it really doesn't take a 3 year-old kid to tell you that between 8-9 am and 6-8 pm, there will be heavy human and vehicle traffic and hence, you'll need to send out more buses. Why not give bus drivers transmission sets or gather feedback from them on road traffic conditions during particular stretches of time? And it's a great mystery why buses in Sydney can run exactly on time, even though, mind you, there are traffic jams and buses in Singapore cannot?
8. Zig-zag lines
Everywhere I go, I see cars parked illegally along roads with such lines where you are not supposed to even wait!! Bottomline: If you are not willing to enforce rules, don't bother implementing them.
9. Perpetual Jams at Orchard Boulevard
LTA must be idiots not to only know about the problem after it has been recurring year after year. -
Em... For the qn on NEL, the cmty there will be cleared to build HDB flats... The Circle Line will have 1 station build near cmty...
As for operation, SMRT is the one that is profittering... Ever since day 1, NEL off peak frequency is at 5-7 mins. SMRT is at 7-10 mins.
And, when MRT system came, SBS also had to withdraw bus rts... Can you look at issues at a balanced manner? -
If SMRT must share their subway fares with SBST-NEL, the latter must allow free transfer from 160 to 950 at the Causeway.Originally posted by Profounder:6. NEL, again!
NEL to SBS Transit vs SMRT. What competition are you talking about when one line plies through estates not served by SMRT and both lines happen to be essential transport platforms for majority of Singaporeans. Don't get it? If you stay in Sengkang and want to get to Raffles Pl, you die die also must take the SMRT line because smart and profiteering SBS happened to cancel their bus services there! So what cost-savings is there??
9. Perpetual Jams at Orchard Boulevard
LTA must be idiots not to only know about the problem after it has been recurring year after year.
There is something done to address the traffic problems at Orchard Blvd. Come July, Somerset Rd near Youth Park will be closed. At least some action will be taken, late as it is.
PS: Can you tell me more about the LTA officer's suicide? What was the cause?[/quote] -
Tibs pulled out 950 & 952 when WDL line was ready. They also chopped 5 after BPLRT started ops. By the time the latter event took place, SMRT and Tibs were on the road to merger.Originally posted by sbst275:And, when MRT system came, SBS also had to withdraw bus rts... Can you look at issues at a balanced manner? -
iveco, DID YOU GET IT WANT I SAID???Originally posted by iveco:
How can Sv 160/ 170 share fare with Sv 950 when they have totally dif rt and fare structure? -
1. Em... For the qn on NEL, the cmty there will be cleared to build HDB flats... The Circle Line will have 1 station build near cmty...
Whoa, which part of the cemetery? Tell me quick, so I can be the first to queue to buy a flat built on top of a Muslim cemetery. And I think I must have missed out on the reports noting the many floors of unsold flats and half-completed flats in Singapore.
2. As for operation, SMRT is the one that is profittering... Ever since day 1, NEL off peak frequency is at 5-7 mins. SMRT is at 7-10 mins.
Off peak 5 mins?? Man, I must have astigmatism. Or maybe I wasn't taking NEL. Maybe it was SEL or EEL or WEL or whatever...
3. And, when MRT system came, SBS also had to withdraw bus rts...
Of course, SBS had to withdraw bus routes because they are first and foremost a profit-making enterprise!! So now, I am forced to take NEL then take SMRT because I don't have a bus to my office from my estate. So forced to take NEL and SMRT, I'm contributing to the competition. Maybe that's a new definition of competition I didn't come across in EC101. -
The one near Police Academy loh...Originally posted by Profounder:1. Em... For the qn on NEL, the cmty there will be cleared to build HDB flats... The Circle Line will have 1 station build near cmty...
Whoa, which part of the cemetery? Tell me quick, so I can be the first to queue to buy a flat built on top of a Muslim cemetery. And I think I must have missed out on the reports noting the many floors of unsold flats and half-completed flats in Singapore.
2. As for operation, SMRT is the one that is profittering... Ever since day 1, NEL off peak frequency is at 5-7 mins. SMRT is at 7-10 mins.
Off peak 5 mins?? Man, I must have astigmatism. Or maybe I wasn't taking NEL. Maybe it was SEL or EEL or WEL or whatever...
3. And, when MRT system came, SBS also had to withdraw bus rts...
Of course, SBS had to withdraw bus routes because they are first and foremost a profit-making enterprise!! So now, I am forced to take NEL then take SMRT because I don't have a bus to my office from my estate. So forced to take NEL and SMRT, I'm contributing to the competition. Maybe that's a new definition of competition I didn't come across in EC101.
Nope... SBS was forced by the govt to change bus rt as ridership for MRT was very low in 1990's... Average of 500,000 -
And of course, come July the road near Youth Park will be closed. That is impressive.
22 Dec 2002 I was stuck in a jam before Pheonix Hotel for 1 hour on my way to friend's wedding.
22 Dec 2003 I was stuck in a jam before Orchard Cineleisure for 1 hour on my way to a meeting.
22 Dec 2004 I was stuck in a jam before Pheonix Hotel on my way to pick up a client.
Oh man, I think I shouldn't blame LTA. I should go take a course on time management because late as it is, LTA someday will lick the problem.
Tell me, IVECO, if you see a traffic jam right outside your house for 5 days in a row, what do you do?
You wait 3 years, see the same thing happening everyday, then do a study, then take action! Come on, there has to be some common sense. Taxpayers don't pay money to stat boards like LTA to have them sit there and do nothing until some member of the public bring a massive problem to their attention. -
I think the changes will make traffic flow better... Maybe even faster to get from Somerset Rd to Orchard TurnOriginally posted by Profounder:And of course, come July the road near Youth Park will be closed. That is impressive.
22 Dec 2002 I was stuck in a jam before Pheonix Hotel for 1 hour on my way to friend's wedding.
22 Dec 2003 I was stuck in a jam before Orchard Cineleisure for 1 hour on my way to a meeting.
22 Dec 2004 I was stuck in a jam before Pheonix Hotel on my way to pick up a client.
Oh man, I think I shouldn't blame LTA. I should go take a course on time management because late as it is, LTA someday will lick the problem.
Tell me, IVECO, if you see a traffic jam right outside your house for 5 days in a row, what do you do?
You wait 3 years, see the same thing happening everyday, then do a study, then take action! Come on, there has to be some common sense. Taxpayers don't pay money to stat boards like LTA to have them sit there and do nothing until some member of the public bring a massive problem to their attention. -
Dear ProfounderOriginally posted by Profounder:My choice:
LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY
6. NEL, again!
NEL to SBS Transit vs SMRT. What competition are you talking about when one line plies through estates not served by SMRT and both lines happen to be essential transport platforms for majority of Singaporeans. Don't get it? If you stay in Sengkang and want to get to Raffles Pl, you die die also must take the SMRT line because smart and profiteering SBS happened to cancel their bus services there! So what cost-savings is there??
I fully agree with you that LTA is the most incompetent ministry.
What competition are they talking about when the 2 lines don't ply the same area. Moreover, MRT is a very expensive infrastructure and should be undertaken by only one operator to have the economy of scale and expertise.
What about the LRT?
Now they are increasing the fine on taxi companies if their taxi safety standard is not up to mark. Have they actually found out why is the safety standard sliding, why it only happens recently, and is increasing fine the right solution to it ? -
Pearlie, they complete in service standard though they dun run the same lineOriginally posted by pearlie27:Dear Profounder
I fully agree with you that LTA is the most incompetent ministry.
What competition are they talking about when the 2 lines don't ply the same area. Moreover, MRT is a very expensive infrastructure and should be undertaken by only one operator to have the economy of scale and expertise.
What about the LRT?
Now they are increasing the fine on taxi companies if their taxi safety standard is not up to mark. Have they actually found out why is the safety standard sliding, why it only happens recently, and is increasing fine the right solution to it ?
As for LRT, it is a supplement... -
As for the taxis, it is really untrue... Last time they said bef any accident (Be it from front or back) is counted as 1... Now they say it is not... Can trust them?
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Suppose you take 160 from KJ MRT to WL Checkpoint, then hop on to 950 to JB Checkpoint, then 170 towards Larkin, you'll be charged 3 times! Only BCP holders benefit from such a system. The rest of them, too bad.
There is competition in the form of CTS like 39, 161, 168, 965 and 969. Such competition could be further enhanced if 169 (competitor to 856) were returned back to SBST as it is based in AMK Int.
It would be better if one single company were put in charge of subway lines as the costs of building and maintaining such systems are extremely high. -
iveco, this is like comparing apples with oranges...Originally posted by iveco:Suppose you take 160 from KJ MRT to WL Checkpoint, then hop on to 950 to JB Checkpoint, then 170 towards Larkin, you'll be charged 3 times! Only BCP holders benefit from such a system. The rest of them, too bad.
There is competition in the form of CTS like 39, 161, 168, 965 and 969. Such competition could be further enhanced if 169 (competitor to 856) were returned back to SBST as it is based in AMK Int.
It would be better if one single company were put in charge of subway lines as the costs of building and maintaining such systems are extremely high.
Does Sv 950 goes to Kranji? Already the rt is dif and the Sv 950 fare stage jump so fast.
Nope I disgree provided SMRT can provide frequency like the NEL. Otherwise, SMRT should be the one giving up instead -
And when we come up with perfectly sound arguments to abolish diesel tax for passenger cars they don't even bother to give a reply. I'd like to know what they're going to do about it or if they are dismissing it, but so far we've heard NOTHING.
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If SBS hadn't won the NEL tender back in 1999, SMRT and Tibs wouldn't even have to merge. Who knows, maybe Comfort wouldn't have thought of acquiring DelGro in the subsequent years (inspired in part by the SMRT-Tibs deal).Originally posted by sbst275:Nope I disgree provided SMRT can provide frequency like the NEL. Otherwise, SMRT should be the one giving up instead -
Em... It was DelGro that initated the mergerOriginally posted by iveco:If SBS hadn't won the NEL tender back in 1999, SMRT and Tibs wouldn't even have to merge. Who knows, maybe Comfort wouldn't have thought of acquiring DelGro in the subsequent years (inspired in part by the SMRT-Tibs deal). -
As for my take on most incompetent government departments, I give my vote to MoE.
The streaming system was scrapped after 12 years. Obviously it has not worked. If it couldn't work in the first place, why go ahead with it? Community involvement and CCA points were also dropped for JC entry. During my time, CCA points were a bonus. There are just too many policy U-turns in this department. If those bureaucrats had a sane mind, these problems wouldn't have cropped up. -
I agree with ppl that feels that the LTA is the most incompetent.
The implementation of the LRT is a huge fiasco.
Also, i agree that it is downright stupid and abusurd to talk about competetion between the mrt operators. How can you talk about competition when the 2 products are totally non-substitutable? Unless it is thought that commuters will decide en-masse to change their destinations (eg. Workplaces) or point of origin (eg. Homes) simply because one operator offers a better service, that suggestion reeks of ignorance and incompetence.
I suggest that no one can be that stupid and therefore, the introduction of another operator must be motivated by other reasons... -
My Choice : Mindef.
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Another rail operator is to make sure the older one provides good frequency... NEL is 5-7 mins, SMRT is still at 7-10 minsOriginally posted by lwflee:I agree with ppl that feels that the LTA is the most incompetent.
The implementation of the LRT is a huge fiasco.
Also, i agree that it is downright stupid and abusurd to talk about competetion between the mrt operators. How can you talk about competition when the 2 products are totally non-substitutable? Unless it is thought that commuters will decide en-masse to change their destinations (eg. Workplaces) or point of origin (eg. Homes) simply because one operator offers a better service, that suggestion reeks of ignorance and incompetence.
I suggest that no one can be that stupid and therefore, the introduction of another operator must be motivated by other reasons... -
Explain how. Thanks
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OK... After the SARS period, SMRT placed the train frequency at 7-8 mins on accout of poor ridership. This became worst and now is at 7-10 mins.Originally posted by lwflee:Explain how. Thanks
Wheras the NEL is still at 5-7 mins though ridership is lower (Count it by ridership per km).
So, who is willing to provide more trains? -
u know those new bus stop... those very empty one??? few few yr upgrading one??.. it cost about 20k each.. till today i this dun understand how can that be...
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But then you are merely describing the final result. This could be attributed to any number of reasons:Originally posted by sbst275:OK... After the SARS period, SMRT placed the train frequency at 7-8 mins on accout of poor ridership. This became worst and now is at 7-10 mins.
Wheras the NEL is still at 5-7 mins though ridership is lower (Count it by ridership per km).
So, who is willing to provide more trains?
eg.
- NEL may have gotten a contract on more preferable terms than SMRT did
- The favourable terms in SMRT's contract may have run out
- etc.
In any case, you have still not shown that there is any real competition between the 2 operators. In fact, even though NEL is able to provide trains at a higher frequency than SMRT, we see that SMRT has not been compelled to provide more trains.
The logical conclusion then is that the 2 operators are not competing with each other.