Bus, taxi fare cheats could end up in jail
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Saw a regular paper forumite talking abt fine the bus co...
But put it this way, if you want to makan them (Those minority that causes this), they will make sure you dun 1st. -
the whole transport thing is in a mess.
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Is mister Y making plans to retire and join listed companies?
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Bus, taxi fare cheats could end up in jail and transport company overcharge is "an honest mistake caused by software bug".
Where is justices?
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I could agree better with what Mr Yeo say. Who would want to cheat on 20 cents. They go for the bigger thing. Ask Mr Teh.Originally posted by iveco:
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What to do, we're the peasants.Originally posted by LinYu:Bus, taxi fare cheats could end up in jail and transport company overcharge is "an honest mistake caused by software bug".
Where is justices?
"cheat" on bus fare, get fined and jailed. If we get cheated ourselves by the stupid exlink system, the company gets off scot free. The government is clearly on the side of the transport companies. Others can also lose hundreds of millions and chalk it up as "honest mistake" or "learning experience".
But really, we have only ourselves to blame. We(the ones who got a chance to vote in the previous GEs) have been keeping them in power. -
In the 1st place, claim from them is possibleOriginally posted by av98m:What to do, we're the peasants.
"cheat" on bus fare, get fined and jailed. If we get cheated ourselves by the stupid exlink system, the company gets off scot free. The government is clearly on the side of the transport companies. Others can also lose hundreds of millions and chalk it up as "honest mistake" or "learning experience".
But really, we have only ourselves to blame. We(the ones who got a chance to vote in the previous GEs) have been keeping them in power.
Just that they make it hard to
Another thing they expolited was the bo chap attitude of the ppl -
i extracted this from the straits times forum.
I would like to highlight two concerns.
Firstly, I was overcharged for my trip on bus service number 8 from Toa Payoh Interchange to Ubi Ave 2 on Sept 26. I raised the issue with an SBS officer and was glad that I could get a refund.
However I was told to collect the 40 cents refund after three days. I thought this rule is really inconvenient as commuters would have to make an additional trip just to collect it.
Moreover, I was told that the overcharge was due to a technical glitch in the Ez-lnk system. If SBS were to wrongly deduct 40 cents from each commuter, this amounts to a fortune for the service provider.
This brings me to my second concern, ie would I be fined or jailed if the system does not register my transaction?
Although I can swear to the bus driver that I had tapped the card reader when I boarded the bus, the system would show otherwise. Unlike previously when I was issued with a ticket, it is now my word against the system in this instance.
I have many doubts about the reliability of the system given my bad experience as well as similar complaints lodged by other commuters.
Indeed, I ensure that I tap my Ez-link card on the reader and I agree totally that action should be taken against those who are dishonest. But whose responsibility is it if I am 'cheated' of my fare by the service provider?
Apart from technical glitches, I am also doubtful about the feedback channels.
Initially, I was glad to be served by a friendly and helpful customer service officer who promised to send my feedback to the Land Transport Authority.
He assured me that the LTA will contact me on my feedback within three working days, ie by Sept 29.
I am still anxiously waiting for the relevant authorities to provide me with a satisfactory reply.
I personally feel that if indeed there is a genuine fault with the Ez-link system, the relevant agencies and authorities should admit it, apologise and remedy it in order to achieve our aim to have a world class transport system.
Goh Aik Boon -
isnt the above a joke?
one has to go to a specific place to collect the 40 cts refund. who will pay for the fares incurred? (to and from the place of collection)
maybe the transport company should collect the $20 fine from a location specified by the cheat if he is caught. -
By right, you can claim when you go top up fare card... Provided it is 2 days withinOriginally posted by dragg:isnt the above a joke?
one has to go to a specific place to collect the 40 cts refund. who will pay for the fares incurred? (to and from the place of collection)
maybe the transport company should collect the $20 fine from a location specified by the cheat if he is caught.
Anyway, they have exploited the situation. Because they know many ppl wun bother the register number of the bus and then the name of bus stop they boarded and alighted -
i extracted this from the straits times forum.
No need for competition between SBS and SMRT
I refer to the article 'It's a wish - one company running buses and trains' (ST Oct 11). I agree with Mr Gerard Ee that we should have 'one public transport company running the trains and one running the buses'.
In the first place, Singapore Bus Service has been in charge of bus services while Singapore Mass Rapid Transit is in charge of the MRT system. This was so until the appearance of Trans Island Bus Service.
Despite this, there is not much of a difference between TIBS and SBS besides the fact that one has bendy buses while the other has double-decker buses.
The competition between both companies was virtually not felt from the passenger's point of view. The fact that TIBS is now known as SMRT does not seem to change anything other than the exterior design of the buses and the bus drivers' uniform.
The apparent purpose of having two bus companies in the first place is to provide competition.
However, the fares are fixed and both bus companies run different routes, which defeat the purpose of having two bus companies as no competition seems to be present in such a situation.
Secondly, SBS Transit succeeded in taking control of the NorthEast train line. In response to this, SMRT merged with TIBS to get a hold on the bus services.
There seems to be a problem here. I see no reason why a bus company should want a stake in a train line. No wonder the train company retaliated by getting a stake in bus services.
I feel we should let SMRT and SBS have a mutual agreement to let each other get back what they rightfully should operate, the MRT system and the bus services respectively.
Chong Woon Hian -
Based on that ST forum, actually it was misunderstood
It was already clearly stated that the loser for the NEL bid back in 1990's would merge with SMRT...
The more unexpected was DelGro's merger with Comfort -
i extracted this from the straits times forum.
SBS driver drove off instead of helping old man to board bus.
I was at the Clementi bus interchange on Oct 12 when I was utterly disgusted by what I saw.
Standing in another queue next to mine was an elderly man waiting for SBS bus service 196. At 9.15pm, bus 196 approached the boarding platform.
As the people in front of the elderly man boarded the bus, he moved slowly forward for his turn.
When he realised that the distance between the bus and the platform was too far for him to climb aboard, he signalled to the bus driver to move the vehicle closer.
Instead of helping him get into the bus, the driver shut the door and drove off.
The old man and the rest of the waiting commuters were stunned and bewildered by this act. I was totally outraged.
How can the driver penalise a 'less-mobile' commuter like the elderly man? Shouldn't our public transport providers be carrying the message of promoting a service culture, which the government wants to foster.
I was very disappointed that the bus driver did not bother to help the commuter. Is this called 'providing a better service' to the general public as claimed by SBS Transit Ltd when its bus driver didn't even have the basic notion that he is providing a service?
SBS should look at itself especially the frontline staff on how to provide customer satisfaction in realising the call to promote better service.
I can live without fancy bus terminals and would rather have the authorities and bus companies place more emphasis on making travelling more elderly-friendly.
Ang Sock Hiang (Ms) -
Chong Woon Hian should get his facts right. Tibs Holdings was set up in 1983, well before the MRTC (predecessor of SMRT) came into being.
And I still think it was a mistake to tender out the running of new subway lines. -
This one, it has been debated for long
Actually, the fault lies with bus co.. They never give extra time for drivers if such things occurs -
Apparently, the transport minister forgot all about his primary role, ie to serve the people first, not listed profitable transport companies.
Won't be surprised he gets kicked out in elections.
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Why ppl argue with this only now? It should have been back 27 yrs agoOriginally posted by macjoe:Apparently, the transport minister forgot all about his primary role, ie to serve the people first, not listed profitable transport companies.
Won't be surprised he gets kicked out in elections. -
i extracted this from the straits times forum.
Is there need for jail term, huge fines to deal with fare cheats?
I refer to the numerous articles in The Straits Times on Oct 18 on the penalties - a maximum six-month jail term and $2,000 fine - for repeat offenders for public transport fare cheats.
I am not against penalising those who cheat. I believe our society does not condone it and they should be punished. But it has to be fair with an appropriate penalty for the offence committed (ie small fines for small offences).
Is there a need to mete out jail terms and huge fines?
Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said the maximum penalties were for 'very very drastic fare evasion' and they acted as a deterrent.
While no specific examples of drastic fare evasions were given, one would imagine that big time cheats are those who create fake Ez-link cards and tamper with the smart chip to create fake values.
Are the existing laws and regulations insufficient to handle such extreme cases? If they are, why duplicate work.
In penalising the cheating commuter, perhaps we should also look at the transport providers.
The transport companies rolled out the Ez-link system when there were still technical bugs, resulting in commuters having to pay more than they should.
This additional income covers the losses which the transport companies suffer on account cheating, but it is not revenue rightfully earned by them. Is it considered 'cheating' to keep what is not rightfully yours? What's the official view on this?
What is the total amount that has been collected todate as a result of Ez-link hitches? Would it be appropriate to donate the money to charities instead?
The Ez-link glitches have persisted even though they are on a much smaller scale now, and the transport companies have yet to be penalised for them.
Shouldn't there be penalties when transport companies do not resolve this long-outstanding problem in their system?
If train operators are penalised for ineffective gantries which close on commuters and for the breakdown of trains, why not Ez-link glitches? How about fines and jail terms for them as well?
Despite the fare hikes, I noticed that the frequency of trains during off-peak hours have dropped. Waiting times can be eight to 10 minutes compared to five or six minutes previously.
Fares on feeder services, for example, have doubled from a decade ago while wages have not.
Commuters are definitely more discerning now. The Public Transport Council only regulates bus services and public transport fares.
It will not fight for the early opening of Buangkok MRT station or question the operators when they are slow in installing proper surveillance cameras on the platforms.
Commuters will have to fight for their own interests.
Greg Ting Wee Liang -
i extracted this from the straits times forum.
How about fines for bus companies when they overcharge?
I refer to The Straits Times article 'Heavier penalties for fare cheats from next year' on Oct 18.
Most prominently, there has been no explanation on the $9 million loss by the transport companies.
The public has already accommodated the request to switch over to Ez-link so that there can be better monitoring on the payment of fares. The Ez-link system has been tolerated by the public despite its many glitches.
As an open-minded Singaporean, I would give the transport companies the benefit of the doubt and consider the $9 million loss as accurate.
After all, the companies are in a business and it would not be fair to ask them to give in to cheats and compromise their profits and bonuses.
However, while we have implemented laws to fine fare cheats, I think it is only fair that the public gets justice when the bus companies deduct more than the right fares from commuters.
A commuter now has to go through tedious stages just to get a small refund from the transport company when such an error is made. Thus many people do not bother to retrieve the small amount.
May I enquire:
1) Can SBS Transit and SMRT perform random checks to see how much they have profited from the errors and how much the commuters have lost?
2) To ensure high quality service and make sure that errors are kept to a minimum, can we also fine the bus companies $20 or $50 every time an error in deduction of fares is made?
Let's agree that we have a problem and we should try to solve it.
Lim Wei Yi -
Fines for public transport cheats and now fines for road tax cheats....but what about LTA and the public transport companies? With the reported cases of overcharging being just the tip of the iceberg, they are the greatest cheats of all.
If only I have a chance to vote at the next election to let them know what I think of them....sigh...unfortunately, no chance to vote for me. -
If you look at the 'cheating' cases, if we were to talk abt average value, those that makan the bus, ate them moreOriginally posted by oxford mushroom:Fines for public transport cheats and now fines for road tax cheats....but what about LTA and the public transport companies? With the reported cases of overcharging being just the tip of the iceberg, they are the greatest cheats of all.
If only I have a chance to vote at the next election to let them know what I think of them....sigh...unfortunately, no chance to vote for me.
But if you are talking abt number of passengers involved, more are overcharged
I would rather put it this way, the best is to look at the service guide and make sure the fare stage is correct when you board and alight esp those borderline cases -
The bus driver no need to go to jail,but the CEO's of the bus company n the PAP ministers should go to jail if the EZ-link card overcharged,becoz it is them who introduce this stupid system!!!!Originally posted by crazy monkey:when EZ-link card overcharged, shd bus driver go to jail also ? knn
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I suggest doing something more than just voicing feedback in this forum.
Buy ComfortDelgro and SMRT shares. They pay pretty good dividends, so you can get back some money from them. Then you also don't have to bother about being overcharged by 20 cents once in a while.
As a shareholder, you will also be entitled to attend their AGMs and can then go ask the management some questions. :-)
I got pretty fedup with the decline of SMRT train frequencies which started in 2004, as my evening commute home got more and more crowded and the waits got longer. So I bought their shares.
siginah -
As a shareholder of ComfortDelGro, you can apply for shareholder's passes that let you ride free on buses. However, SMRT doesn't have any similar scheme for its stake holders.