Most Incompetent Ministries/Stat Boards in Singapore
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SBST,
I think you dun understand the concept of competition, or rather, i think that your understanding of competition is vastly different from that of the rest of the world. By your definition of competition, almost every commercial act by a company would constitute competition with other companies. Eg. THe vegetable seller in Iran who gives bulk discounts would, under your definition be competing with the green grocer in Somalia.
Just because some firms offer services that go beyond the bare essentials, you conclude that they must be motivated to do so by competition with coys in the same sector, regardless that the coys may not even be operating in the same market, and thus are not even targeting the same customers.
Having estblished what you mean by competition, then yes, SMRT and NEL are competing with each other. BUT, using the rest of the world's definition of competition, they are not.
I hope i have cleared the confusion.
Btw, the taxi companies ARE competing with each other simply because they are operating in the same market. IE for taxis, the geographical market is the entire Singapore. Not so for SMRT and NEL. Therefore, it is not logical to compare the state of competition between the taxi companies and that between NEL and SMRT. -
That's is what you are thinking..Originally posted by lwflee:SBST,
I think you dun understand the concept of competition, or rather, i think that your understanding of competition is vastly different from that of the rest of the world. By your definition of competition, almost every commercial act by a company would constitute competition with other companies. Eg. THe vegetable seller in Iran who gives bulk discounts would, under your definition be competing with the green grocer in Somalia.
Just because some firms offer services that go beyond the bare essentials, you conclude that they must be motivated to do so by competition with coys in the same sector, regardless that the coys may not even be operating in the same market, and thus are not even targeting the same customers.
Having estblished what you mean by competition, then yes, SMRT and NEL are competing with each other. BUT, using the rest of the world's definition of competition, they are not.
I hope i have cleared the confusion.
Btw, the taxi companies ARE competing with each other simply because they are operating in the same market. IE for taxis, the geographical market is the entire Singapore. Not so for SMRT and NEL. Therefore, it is not logical to compare the state of competition between the taxi companies and that between NEL and SMRT.
LTA has a service standard set. If 1 particular party can make the mark, the guideline will be revised. COMPETITION DOES NOT MEAN YOU NEED DIRECT FIGHTING, I SAY THIS AGAIN... TAXI IS NOT REALLY COMPEITION AS THE SIZE IS THE FACTOR.
If you say you can't have 2 rail operators, then why are there many rail operators in Tokyo itself and 2 in HK?
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1. Yes it is.Originally posted by sbst275:Numbering in original post added by me.
1. That's is what you are thinking..
2. LTA has a service standard set. If 1 particular party can make the mark, the guideline will be revised. COMPETITION DOES NOT MEAN YOU NEED DIRECT FIGHTING, I SAY THIS AGAIN...
3. TAXI IS NOT REALLY COMPEITION AS THE SIZE IS THE FACTOR.
4. If you say you can't have 2 rail operators, then why are there many rail operators in Tokyo itself and 2 in HK?
2. What exactly are they competing for? Pray tell. They scheme you described arguably discourages the coys from improving their service. Why strive to acheive the std if the auth will just raise it and thereby raise costs?
3. Even if size is a factor, they are still competing with each other. Eg. Just because NUTC Fairprice is a larger company than say, Prime Supermarket (i dunno if they still exist), these companies will, in soem circumstances eg IF there is one of each in say Tampines, be still competing with each other.
4. I never said you CANNOT. I implied that in Singapore it would be better for the consumer if SMRT was not barred from even applying to operate the NEL. I dunno why the sit in Tokyo and HK is the way it is. What i have put forth, however, is a reasoned opinion on why i think NEL and SMRT are not competing with each other.
Like i siad, you do not understand the concept of comeptition. -
Nope... For taxis, this is the caseOriginally posted by lwflee:1. Yes it is.
2. What exactly are they competing for? Pray tell. They scheme you described arguably discourages the coys from improving their service. Why strive to acheive the std if the auth will just raise it and thereby raise costs?
3. Even if size is a factor, they are still competing with each other. Eg. Just because NUTC Fairprice is a larger company than say, Prime Supermarket (i dunno if they still exist), these companies will, in soem circumstances eg IF there is one of each in say Tampines, be still competing with each other.
4. I never said you CANNOT. I implied that in Singapore it would be better for the consumer if SMRT was not barred from even applying to operate the NEL. I dunno why the sit in Tokyo and HK is the way it is. What i have put forth, however, is a reasoned opinion on why i think NEL and SMRT are not competing with each other.
Like i siad, you do not understand the concept of comeptition.
SilverCab, SMART Cab, TransCab has a total of 1000 in fleet compared to ComfortDelGro having 17,000... What is the probaility of taking Comfort cab than to these other cabs?
And FYI, NTUC FairPrice is the No 2 SuperMarket chain not No 1 -
If w/o the NEL, SMRT would still put train frequency at 7-8 mins during off peak... Aft many complains of the NEL being better frequency, they adjusted it to 6-8 mins
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1. That merely suggests that comfortdelgro has a larger market share. It doesn't change the fact that Silvercab, SMART cab and transcab are competing with them.Originally posted by sbst275:Nope... For taxis, this is the case
1.SilverCab, SMART Cab, TransCab has a total of 1000 in fleet compared to ComfortDelGro having 17,000... What is the probaility of taking Comfort cab than to these other cabs?
2. And FYI, NTUC FairPrice is the No 2 SuperMarket chain not No 1
2. I'll keep that in mind. -
Good for SMRT. Doesn't show that they are competing with each other though. All it shows is that SMRT has been motivated to produce a token increase in service standards.Originally posted by sbst275:If w/o the NEL, SMRT would still put train frequency at 7-8 mins during off peak... Aft many complains of the NEL being better frequency, they adjusted it to 6-8 mins -
Melbourne has only a single rail operator (Connex) but it is a much bigger city than Singapore.Originally posted by sbst275:If you say you can't have 2 rail operators, then why are there many rail operators in Tokyo itself and 2 in HK?
Also, do Tokyo rail operators share the same tracks (maintained by the railway authority, most likely) or do they have separate lines altogether? -
Does sbst275 work for SBS or what?
Since when is the NEL more frequent than SMRT??
I must have been taking the bullet train all this 2 years +, thinking it was the NEL!
Both LTA and SBS Transit should adopt the tagline, "Stupid is as Stupid Does".
Let me recount a few examples:
1. Bus 16
When Nicoll Highway was closed because of the stupidity of LTA, bus no. 16 rerouted to Lavender Road then Beach Road. For a month or so, passengers had to put up with extremely long waiting time of at least 20 mins for the bus even during off-peak hours. All this while, SBS and its lazy goodfornothings didn't bother to rectify the problem until I had to email a complain to them!! Why is a company making hundreds of millions of profit every year and where the staff work 5-day week not more pro-active? That's the greatest mystery to me.
2. SBS Hotline
Talking about SBS customer service hotline, may I ask why it is not opened on Saturday for at least half a day?
3. Bus 132
I once had one of the most baffling encounters with this bus.
But first, let me warn those taking 132 that the drivers seem to perpetually have some sort of menstrual cramps as they love to drive really slowly. And by slow I don't mean 50 kph but reeeeally slow i.e. 30-40 kph. This also happens on 151 which unfortunately, is non-aircon.
Coming back to that unpleasant encounter, last year, one morning, I happily walked to the bus stop to wait for 132 to go to Thomson. I sat down and waited for 10 mins. Then 5 mins. THen 10 mins. Mind you, the bus stop was only 10 mins away from the interchange where 132 comes from and there were no jams during that time. After waiting for 30 mins, I blew my top and decided to call the hotline. The reason they gave me? One of the 132 buses had broken down causing a shortage of buses for that service no. And hence, there were no buses at the interchange which means I have to wait.
Is this world class transport system? I don't think so! Not until the entire management at SBS jump out of their fanciful sparkling new building at Braddell.
4. Leaking Buses and more
I think when it comes to cost-cutting, nobody can beat SBS.
How else do you explain those buses that leak when there's a heavy rain?
And have you ever stepped into an aircon buses to find out instead you have walked into a humid stifling furnance?
Well, I have. All of the above. And these are not isolated occurrences. Wonder where have all the SBS technicians gone.
5. NEL
The design of the NEL, not to mention the locations of the stations, is baffling to say the least. Take Kovan for example. One one side of the station is Heartland Mall, a pretty busy mall where people buy their groceries. On the other side is a private housing estate. For some reason, LTA architects built the lift on the side of the private housing estate, not foreseeing or using their brains to think that people who buy groceries will sometimes need to use the lift because trust me, the station is really deep underground.
Then, on the Heartland Mall side, to descend to the train waiting area, you have to use the staircase because LTA architects decided that there should only be one escalator coming up on this side compared to two on the side of the private housing estate.
Bureaucrats! -
Originally posted by Profounder:Does sbst275 work for SBS or what?
Since when is the NEL more frequent than SMRT??
I must have been taking the bullet train all this 2 years +, thinking it was the NEL!
Both LTA and SBS Transit should adopt the tagline, "Stupid is as Stupid Does".
Let me recount a few examples:
1. Bus 16
When Nicoll Highway was closed because of the stupidity of LTA, bus no. 16 rerouted to Lavender Road then Beach Road. For a month or so, passengers had to put up with extremely long waiting time of at least 20 mins for the bus even during off-peak hours. All this while, SBS and its lazy goodfornothings didn't bother to rectify the problem until I had to email a complain to them!! Why is a company making hundreds of millions of profit every year and where the staff work 5-day week not more pro-active? That's the greatest mystery to me.
2. SBS Hotline
Talking about SBS customer service hotline, may I ask why it is not opened on Saturday for at least half a day?
3. Bus 132
I once had one of the most baffling encounters with this bus.
But first, let me warn those taking 132 that the drivers seem to perpetually have some sort of menstrual cramps as they love to drive really slowly. And by slow I don't mean 50 kph but reeeeally slow i.e. 30-40 kph. This also happens on 151 which unfortunately, is non-aircon.
Coming back to that unpleasant encounter, last year, one morning, I happily walked to the bus stop to wait for 132 to go to Thomson. I sat down and waited for 10 mins. Then 5 mins. THen 10 mins. Mind you, the bus stop was only 10 mins away from the interchange where 132 comes from and there were no jams during that time. After waiting for 30 mins, I blew my top and decided to call the hotline. The reason they gave me? One of the 132 buses had broken down causing a shortage of buses for that service no. And hence, there were no buses at the interchange which means I have to wait.
Is this world class transport system? I don't think so! Not until the entire management at SBS jump out of their fanciful sparkling new building at Braddell.
4. Leaking Buses and more
I think when it comes to cost-cutting, nobody can beat SBS.
How else do you explain those buses that leak when there's a heavy rain?
And have you ever stepped into an aircon buses to find out instead you have walked into a humid stifling furnance?
Well, I have. All of the above. And these are not isolated occurrences. Wonder where have all the SBS technicians gone.
5. NEL
The design of the NEL, not to mention the locations of the stations, is baffling to say the least. Take Kovan for example. One one side of the station is Heartland Mall, a pretty busy mall where people buy their groceries. On the other side is a private housing estate. For some reason, LTA architects built the lift on the side of the private housing estate, not foreseeing or using their brains to think that people who buy groceries will sometimes need to use the lift because trust me, the station is really deep underground.
Then, on the Heartland Mall side, to descend to the train waiting area, you have to use the staircase because LTA architects decided that there should only be one escalator coming up on this side compared to two on the side of the private housing estate.
Bureaucrats!