Possible merger between SBST and SMRT.
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Today I read in the papers that if SBST really wanted to give operation rights of NEL to SMRT Corp, analysts said that a merger between the 2 is possible.
SBST could exchange for some SMRT shares with the operation rights. The government currently owns two-thirds of SMRT Corp shares.
Analysts also mentioned that the proposed move is unusual, as changing operators would not increase the ridership to the expected level or save costs.
This is the brief summary from the papers. Correct me if I have made any wrong statements or facts. -
That's scary. It would eliminate all forms of "competition" in public transport industry at one shot.Originally posted by off_service:Today I read in the papers that if SBST really wanted to give operation rights of NEL to SMRT Corp, analysts said that a merger between the 2 is possible.
SBST could exchange for some SMRT shares with the operation rights. The government currently owns two-thirds of SMRT Corp shares.
Analysts also mentioned that the proposed move is unusual, as changing operators would not increase the ridership to the expected level or save costs.
This is the brief summary from the papers. Correct me if I have made any wrong statements or facts. -
So we'll have a single operator running MRT, LRT and all the bus services? That's absurd and consumers will ultimately be the losers in the end...
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dunno leh... at first thought having 2 operators maybe have competition and commuters benefit... but seems like the nel is 'slaying' us for the money leh... so expensive and we are FORCED to take becoz they removed all the buses!!! 
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Hi,
I think you are right. I watched both Channel NewsAsia's and Channel I News' commentaries on this issue. Both said that although liberisation was encouraged in Singapore, the transportation sector is just too small for 2 operators. They suggested some possibilities.
One was for SBST to sell its rail operations to SMRT, and in return SMRT to sell its bus operations to SBST. Another possibility was what you mentioned, for SMRT and SBST to merge into one giant transportation company.
Though we've known that SMRT is 'open' to any options or suggestions, we have yet to hear what SBST have to say about this issue.
Cheers and warm regards -
Originally posted by spyder: dunno leh... at first thought having 2 operators maybe have competition and commuters benefit... but seems like the nel is 'slaying' us for the money leh... so expensive and we are FORCED to take becoz they removed all the buses!!!
x2
where's the competition?
As far as I can see, I can't choose between the NEL and the EW line when going to school -
Precisely! The SMRT and SBST own rail lines served different areas in Singapore. Unless SBST won the tender for the Circle Line, which indirectly 'competes' with North-South and East-West Lines, there is virtually no competition. The only true competition between the 2 companies are their bus services.Originally posted by Parka: x2
where's the competition?
As far as I can see, I can't choose between the NEL and the EW line when going to school
Cheers and wam regards -
It had been confirmed in the papers that the Circle Line will be operated by SMRT.Originally posted by Superbus:Precisely! The SMRT and SBST own rail lines served different areas in Singapore. Unless SBST won the tender for the Circle Line, which indirectly 'competes' with North-South and East-West Lines, there is virtually no competition. The only true competition between the 2 companies are their bus services.
Cheers and wam regards
Meanwhile, if they do get absorbed into one huge consortium, then perhaps the Made in Malaysia and UK Dennis buses would go over to Bishan and i get my favourite DM3500s daily
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I don't think the fleets will be swapped, so you can continue with your dreams.Originally posted by TIB1186Z:It had been confirmed in the papers that the Circle Line will be operated by SMRT.
Meanwhile, if they do get absorbed into one huge consortium, then perhaps the Made in Malaysia and UK Dennis buses would go over to Bishan and i get my favourite DM3500s daily 
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actually i hope everything is returned to smrt lah... once given to them, they can lower their prices... sbs transit will re-instate all the bus fleets... i can be a happy boy again... still miss 111, 97, 85... hahaha... now, i only take 153, else its nel, nel, nel... no choice at all... hopefully it can bring down the prices of travelling through trains when they decide to merge... 
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it's already a cartel...
merger or not, it's not going to make any difference to the common man anyway
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it will make some difference at least... It's better to have some form of competition between rival modes of transport like bus and MRT than have 1 large company controlling these 2 major modes of public transport...Originally posted by the Bear:it's already a cartel...
merger or not, it's not going to make any difference to the common man anyway -
Erm...dun tink this would happen...SMRT already owns TIBS...a merger would then create a monopoly over the transport system in Singapore...which is unlikely what the govt would want.
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We never know what the Government wants, do we?
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Originally posted by Zilchster:Erm...dun tink this would happen...SMRT already owns TIBS...a merger would then create a monopoly over the transport system in Singapore...which is unlikely what the govt would want. Frankly speaking, nobody cares if there's a monopoly or not. The main point is everyone wants a good service at an affordable price.
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Transport Minister Yeo says that NEL and SMRT lines have no direct and "real" competition as NE residents only have NEL to take. Unless SMRT lines appear in NE area, there will be no real competition.
He also mentioned that "in theory they wanted competition". -
Damn, there's a good piece in ST forums today.
If SBS hasn't operated the trains, we would still have those buses which were re-routed or taken off. Damn, they don't want to cannabalize their own train passengers!
Damn them. -
theory and real life are often totally differentOriginally posted by off_service:Transport Minister Yeo says that NEL and SMRT lines have no direct and "real" competition as NE residents only have NEL to take. Unless SMRT lines appear in NE area, there will be no real competition.
He also mentioned that "in theory they wanted competition". -
If the desired outcome is to provide public transport at the lowest price, then... the current for-profit structure of the companies needs to be changed.
I would think that a organisational constitution similar to NTUC Fairprice would be the best setup to achieve this outcome.
All citizens be shareholders and at the end of the year, enjoy a rebate of any excess profit after deducting costs.
For some reason, I don't see ppl complaining about Fairprice being expensive when some of their items are not exactly the lowest in town. -
I finally understand the concept of competition.
In the eyes of SBS, it would be competing buses with the trains.
Parka whistles! Steady lar! -
Originally posted by Parka: I finally understand the concept of competition.
In the eyes of SBS, it would be competing buses with the trains.
Parka whistles! Steady lar! In other words, they are competing with themselves.
Oh my!!!!
That's that's.....a good strategy!! Competing with themselves!!
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They are full of rubbish lahz.Originally posted by Parka: In other words, they are competing with themselves.
Oh my!!!!
That's that's.....a good strategy!! Competing with themselves!! -
Yet another costly mistake which the people are forced to bear. In my honest opinion, if Singapore were a respectable democracy, the entire ministry of transport would have been booted out long ago.
However, since ranting does not help much, I am going to offer a solution.
Firstly, since it is (and continues to be) nonsensical to call the rail lines in Singapore "competition", we might as well scrap the entire idea, and let a government board control the rail lines. NO MARKET OWNERSHIP! Goodness, I was wondering how long it would take them to realise that!
As for buses, there should not have been such a thing called "strong-hold interchanges" in the first place. It stifles competition, and keeps everyone hanging in between the status of being a market controlled, yet regulated economy (which will never sustain). Cut the cords loose entirely, and sit back and watch them slay each other.
I am sure that within a few days of reform (yes, a bitter medicine which these behemoths of a GLC need to take, quoting from PM Goh), they would find tons of fluff called "red tape" in their own companies. I can even guarantee it!
Singapore is too small to allow a "middle-of-nowhere" system of transportation, and really, do the PTC need to worry about there not being enough bus services when complete free competition is not instituted? -
It would be nice to see SBST and TIBS spreading buses around like seeing Volvo buses operating on 962 or Mercedes habit buses operating on bus 7 ..etc . Let's see what happen next .....
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Wait long long.Originally posted by Airbus330Captain:It would be nice to see SBST and TIBS spreading buses around like seeing Volvo buses operating on 962 or Mercedes habit buses operating on bus 7 ..etc . Let's see what happen next .....