SBST made recommendations to PTC
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Originally posted by SMRT:
It is fine for now, because the smell of profits is so sweet.
Wednesday April 25, 10:24 AM
[b]S'pore rail operator SMRT sees no need for merger-paper
State-controlled rail operator SMRT Corp chief executive Saw Phaik Hwa shot down calls to restructure local public transport, a report in the Today newspaper said on Wednesday.
The paper quoted Saw as saying that the public transport system was already "very good" and that she saw no need for a merger with bus and taxi operator ComfortDelgro .
"Why fix something that ain't broke," the paper quoted Saw as saying at the group's 2006 results briefing.
SMRT shares, which touched a record high on Monday of S$1.88 on takeover speculation, was down 2.66 percent on Wednesday morning to S$1.83. ComfortDelgro shares also fell 2.92 percent to S$2.33.
Last week, ComfortDelgro chairman Lim Jit Poh made two proposals to the Transport Ministry on restructuring public transport as part of the government's review of land transport.
SMRT, 54.6 percent owned by state holding company Temasek Holdings [TEM.UL], reported a 31 percent rise in net profit to S$135.8 million ($89.75 million) in 2006. [/b]
Anyway she can be so proud because it can take years for her cost cutting actions to be fully viewed as detrimental to the public. By then, she would have gotten all the CEO payouts from the organisation, while her successor will be the one getting all the criticisms.
Remember some organisations where CEOs get a hefty payout even though they resign? -
To be honest Ms Saw is smart,She cut costs by withdrawing SMRTB Timekeepers @ Lor 1 Geylang/Eunos/Bedok/Tampines/Bt Merah/New Bridge Rd/Shenton Way/Marina Ctr/Boon Lay.To add more woes to the bus sides,Spare Parts suchs as brake shoe are purchased locally not from the manufacturer.She sacrificed bus lines for the sake of the train.I do not pin up high hope on them for the new buses,Just improved the manpower and the bus timings will do.
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i can see SMRT going downhill..........
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Move away from single-entity idea; separate bus, rail providers more competitive
A reader thoughts... -
And my thoughts to..Originally posted by brotherchen1982:Move away from single-entity idea; separate bus, rail providers more competitive
A reader thoughts... -
Let's say I'm SPH.
I dont want to lose SMRTB to that ComDel giant. And yes the bus business is very profitable because of the maximisation of resources (you guys have said this part a million times here). I know that people are complaining. But so what? I'm still making money. Since she doesnt want to rid her bus business, she can only say that its "efficient" and its "aint broken".
Another point here. If I take all trains and ComDel takes all buses. Who gain more? ComDel. They are able to introduce new routes like no one's business recently. That's because the bus network in singapore hasnt been fully utilised. How about my trains? They run on fixed routes. Breakdown even worse. I cannot anyhow introduce a new train route (only SWTs at most) unless my boss Temasek Holdings say they want to build Bt Timah Line, Eastern Region Line, North Coast Line bla bla bla....
I have buses running parallel against my train line. Whether they want a seat on the bus or take a fast train to town is completely up to them. If they dont mind paying more for a faster ride, I stand to gain. But if they would prefer a seat on a bus and snooze away till their workplace in town. I lose the most. Ultimately it depends on the frequency and efficiency of the bus route running parallel to my train line right?
Aiya anyway she's still on the losing end.
At the end of the day the commuter will benefit more with bus and train running parallel routes. -
Why still Ms Saw Phaik Hwa ?
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While bus-train competition may seem not beneficial to trains, however, we must keep in mind that PTC still has the final decision of whether to allow introduction of new routes. The new services lately hasn't duplicate the train lines, even to the same destination will take much longer compared to direct train services. Hence I believe even with a bus-train model running parallel, the train lines will still have their fair share of commuters which allow them to profit.Originally posted by service_238:Let's say I'm SPH.
I dont want to lose SMRTB to that ComDel giant. And yes the bus business is very profitable because of the maximisation of resources (you guys have said this part a million times here). I know that people are complaining. But so what? I'm still making money. Since she doesnt want to rid her bus business, she can only say that its "efficient" and its "aint broken".
Another point here. If I take all trains and ComDel takes all buses. Who gain more? ComDel. They are able to introduce new routes like no one's business recently. That's because the bus network in singapore hasnt been fully utilised. How about my trains? They run on fixed routes. Breakdown even worse. I cannot anyhow introduce a new train route (only SWTs at most) unless my boss Temasek Holdings say they want to build Bt Timah Line, Eastern Region Line, North Coast Line bla bla bla....
I have buses running parallel against my train line. Whether they want a seat on the bus or take a fast train to town is completely up to them. If they dont mind paying more for a faster ride, I stand to gain. But if they would prefer a seat on a bus and snooze away till their workplace in town. I lose the most. Ultimately it depends on the frequency and efficiency of the bus route running parallel to my train line right?
Aiya anyway she's still on the losing end. At the end of the day the commuter will benefit more with bus and train running parallel routes.
Even if the bus-train system really comes into practise, the bus operator will still face the same old problem of "minimizing duplication of resources", even though it might be slightly relaxed. If anyone think that they will just let buses wreck havoc on train services, think again. -
I can tell you, that Ms Saw Phaik Hwa can keep up with that attitude of hers. Sooner or later she's going to find trouble at her doorstep; when that time comes, she will never be able to clean it off her hands.
I can very safely tell you that almost everybody who relies on SMRT treat her as Public Enemy Number One. I mean, what kind of... faeces has SMRT gorged into our mouths? Lack of bus routes, old buses (Nissans...), cockroach-infested buses (I once opened the ventilation flap on one of the Malaysian Lances, and two cockroaches fell onto me
), treating the bus business as a money-making joke, lengthening the frequency of MRT trains, modifying and cutting back bus routes without any regard, not introducing many new bus routes (Let's see what SMRT gave us between now and 2005: 922, 882, 902, 900A, 985W, 854E, 963E, Teacher's Estate, and what else? And for SBS Transit... let's see... 5, 185, 175, 43, 45, 48, 109, 52, 57, 58, 59, 85, 116 (although it was withdrawn - crazy stupid route ), 402, 408, 409, 10e, 14e, 196e, 174e, 97e, 151e, 74e, 1N, 2N, 3N, 4N, 5N, 6N, 7N, 8N, ... all right, I lost count (and I didn't even start with the shortworking trips!)), severe corner cutting, etc...
However, I'm not for an all-out mega-merger, but rather, I would like to see something like this:
Have the rail division of SMRT go to SBS Transit; SBS Transit's rail division will be renamed SMRT, but will be under ComfortDelGro. SMRT's bus and taxi division will go back to being a independent unit, and will go back to be known as Trans Island (
). At the same time, allow a few more bus companies to come out; fund them if necessary. Scrap the territory system, and allow buses of any company to operate from anywhere. In this system, you would effectively have a main company running trains and buses, with smaller bus companies competing with it's bus division - which I feel is OK for competition. -
Buses can compete with train...
Let's say.. The buses dun need to run duplicate with the train to compete -
Also ... Never introduce any bus svc to Expo ! Then if got any expo events there, confirm got many people take one. Marina Bay (Marina South) also.Originally posted by sbst275:Buses can compete with train...
Let's say.. The buses dun need to run duplicate with the train to compete -
Well...Originally posted by Scania N113CRB luver:Also ... Never introduce any bus svc to Expo ! Then if got any expo events there, confirm got many people take one. Marina Bay (Marina South) also.
If the trend is of having concerts at Expo, Stadium Direct style of services can be introduced from there
As for basic services at Expo... It can get 1 more service -
ST today wrote commentary...
SMRT faces problems in growing now... Back in 1996, SMRT could earn $160m alone, now it's just $100m in FY05/06 and $132m in FY06/07. The growth came from lower corp tax rate, retail space and ads, in fact these accounted for 90% of the $32m
So the article mentioned that being eaten up by ComfortDelgro might be the better way as it also gives SMRT the chance to exapand overseas... -
No wonder "they"Originally posted by sbst275:ST today wrote commentary...
SMRT faces problems in growing now... Back in 1996, SMRT could earn $160m alone, now it's just $100m in FY05/06 and $132m in FY06/07. The growth came from lower corp tax rate, retail space and ads, in fact these accounted for 90% of the $32m
So the article mentioned that being eaten up by ComfortDelgro might be the better way as it also gives SMRT the chance to exapand overseas... 
are so greedy for money nowadays as to resort to severe corner-cutting... -
Another thing to note that the commentary also mentioned abt the new MRT lines...
It does no help to SMRT as it takes years to complete and get to operate -
For now i think the economic and efficient ways is SMRTB to improve the frequencies on its cashcow services particularly 190 during peak hours.SBST should mind their own bussinesses and carry on with NEL.