MP spot checks our bus timings
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MP Lim Biow Chuan exposes bus standards online
FACEBOOK is fast becoming the direct platform for Singapore politicians to broadcast their messages directly. More so, after the recent General Election.
And the efforts from the politicians themselves and the interest from netizens shows no signs of abating.
As traditional media often comes with space constraints in newspapers, or time constraints on television or radio, the social nature of Facebook has allowed more awareness of issues at the ground level to be shared with the public, especially if they may not be big enough to overshadow other competing news.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Mountbatten - Lim Biow Chuan - did his own spot checks on the ground after complaints about the regularity of some bus services during the election campaign period.
He posted this on May 16 on his Facebook page at 4.48pm then: 'I received complaints about the regularity of some bus services during the campaign period. This morning, I waited at the bus stop from 8am to 9am with LTA (Land Transport Authority) officer to do an audit and was horrified at the result. Will be writing to PTC (Public Transport Council) and LTA to lodge a formal complaint about the service standards of the bus services.'
On Thursday at 2.30pm, he posted this next update on his investigations: 'Was at bus stop next to Block 56 Cassia Crescent this morning for 2nd informal audit. Results are slightly better although there is room for improvement. For service 70, a total of 8 buses came within a period of 50 mins. Service 197 need to improve. Will feedback to PTC for their follow up with SBS. Then monitor to see whether there are improvements.'
Earlier in the week, MP for Sembawang GRC (Admiralty) - Vikram Nair - posted a YouTube video of himself drinking tap water during a house visit to prove that the water in Blk 686B Woodlands Drive 73 is safe for consumption.
This was to reassure residents' concerns after the body of a dead domestic worker was earlier found in the block's water tank on May 16.
Reactions from Facebook users on MP Lim Biow Chuan's page:
'Sir really appreciate your ground work. You didn't allow the LTA officer or your grassroots smoke you.' - Ong Delion
'Glad you came down to see things first hand! Great job, sir!' - Brenda Chia
'Mr Lim, thank you for your personal investigation. Service 158 is a good example. I am seeing a very positive commitment to improve the issues. If I can add, Facebook can be a good channel not to get a watered-down feedback. Of course some posting are not constructive, however like a Malay saying goes, if there's no wind the leaves will not ruffle.' - Jumali Sayuti
'Dear Sir, fyi, there are many other services which you will 'be horrified' with. Nothing beats seeing it for yrselves isn't it???? Really thumbs up for such efforts taken. Maybe you can consider checking out just how crowded our trains are also, especially the peak period.' - Jennifer Lee
'Good job. It's nice that you communicate what you are doing. Do continue. Hope you won't get the brush off from PTC/LTA. Hope they won't offer the traditional solution of tweaking the routes and increasing services as the solution will only...be stop-gap measures that do not address the root of the problem... and please tell them you won't accept them to put up more ERP gantries in your area just to 'solve' the problem.' - Serene Chew
he did not go up the bus for the national squeezathon?
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158's freq is 20 mins
He board the bus how to check overall trips made?
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squeezation?
I find the buses these days aren't as packed seriously. Cos ppl dunno how to move in
if want to see squeezation take 170 from JB or 96 to NUS or 179 into NTU. tat's really squeezation.
Singaporeans haven't seen real squeeze yet cos dunno how to move in still complain
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This new MPs are overusing Facebook and blog to shine.
If he is geniune about his spot check, should take a ride in the MRT and bus and not sit and the bus stop.
But, give him credit for doing that cos this mean that the PTC chairman is sleeping all the time.
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Originally posted by Medicated Oil:
This new MPs are overusing Facebook and blog to shine.
If he is geniune about his spot check, should take a ride in the MRT and bus and not sit and the bus stop.
But, give him credit for doing that cos this mean that the PTC chairman is sleeping all the time.
Dear whiner (I guess I could say so with all your ranting and bashing),I myself wrote suggestions onto the bus and MRT services. I myself know esp over the MRT, it takes 2 yrs to procure any MRT train which ought to have been done earlier.
If you complain abt MPs off the ground, then have you bothered to write anything abt it yet?
I feel for it because everyone is going to school to work at the same time. It isn't just YOU ALONE going to work at tat point of time.
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Originally posted by Medicated Oil:
This new MPs are overusing Facebook and blog to shine.
If he is geniune about his spot check, should take a ride in the MRT and bus and not sit and the bus stop.
But, give him credit for doing that cos this mean that the PTC chairman is sleeping all the time.
He's a MP of mountbatten. His interest to taking care of the interests of his residents in the area. Its naturally alright for him to just sit at the bus stop and feel what his residents is feeling waiting for the bus to come, issnt it? Why would u want him to go up the train and buses, because thats the job of lta, ptc and the transport minister!
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Originally posted by Medicated Oil:
This new MPs are overusing Facebook and blog to shine.
If he is geniune about his spot check, should take a ride in the MRT and bus and not sit and the bus stop.
But, give him credit for doing that cos this mean that the PTC chairman is sleeping all the time.
How to check for the bus services frequency if he's onboard a bus or train huh?
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Now I got where tis 197's headway check is taken at. Will take a look one of the days I'm free.
Just as ppl complain abt bus not arriving on time and so called packed (in the front). All these just waste everyone's time because the entrance door simply cannot close. Ends up all the buses at the bus stops are held back.
Ends up we're complaining how selfish we're ourselves.
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seating at bus stops and checking the buses headway, sounds like things bus fans do
nothing better to do -
Wah now after a freak election result, the wayang starts coming.
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To some of the forumers that whined on my posting, are you not a whiner yourself ?
If the transport company are doing their work, why are you wasting your free time to check on them ?
If writing to the authority help to solve your problem, you should see the new MRT and bus now and service improvement, but, are they anywhere to be to be seen ?
My point on he getting on the bus is experience the squeeze and talk to the commuters if he really want to know what is the problem.
Since he is doing a spot check, why not find out more to solve more issues ?
Not to pass the buck to Transport minister or LTA officers.
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For Sengkang West side, seems that SBST had added in an additional bus to run full day on service 163M ever since Sengkang West residents complained over the poor frequency during the GE 2011.
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MP all drive car they dunno what's wrong with our transport system. MRT is very crowded. Buses must wait very long and alway crowded.
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increase number of bus mean need more money to buy bus and has addtional driver and extra bus to maintenance so don't blame later that the bus fare increase!!! Will the MP answer to people if people cow pa cow bo over increase of fare???
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I think instead of force sbs to increase the frequency I think PTC should let more PTE bus to driect complete with sbs over some service. service like 95 in nus should allow PTE operator to join operation.
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Originally posted by wsy1234:
I think instead of force sbs to increase the frequency I think PTC should let more PTE bus to driect complete with sbs over some service. service like 95 in nus should allow PTE operator to join operation.
Before you know what's e limit you start shooting.Can you add more buses at Buona Vista MRT during the peak hours?
As another forumite has said, there's 198 in any case. The most is the walk from the running track.
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Originally posted by wsy1234:
increase number of bus mean need more money to buy bus and has addtional driver and extra bus to maintenance so don't blame later that the bus fare increase!!! Will the MP answer to people if people cow pa cow bo over increase of fare???
can buy more double decks right?It's still OMO isn't it?
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Nowadays a lot of bus drivers are from China.
Expecting China man to drive MRT soon.
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Originally posted by sbst275:
Before you know what's e limit you start shooting.Can you add more buses at Buona Vista MRT during the peak hours?
As another forumite has said, there's 198 in any case. The most is the walk from the running track.
SBST has improved their services alot as compared to SMRT. They had introduced DDs to 95, and there are short trip services to 200 and 95 during morning peak hours. On the other hand, SMRT frequencies to 970 was terrible, despite being the only bus service that linked Commowealth MRT and Holland Road. Moreover we now seeing more non-bendies plying on SMRT106. Seeing those DDs plying on SBST174, 7 would only make me fumes.
When circle line ply to Kent Ridge, I wondering if those NUS internal bus services have the capacity to accomodate the large crowd? And if NUS students would abandon Clementi MRT and make transfer at Kent Ridge instead? Or if NUS students would prefer to make bus transfer at BV instead of Kent Ridge ...
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we pay him 15k salary for him to be a bus inspector?
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He is taking right approach as the transport problems should be one of the stuff that the residents have highlighted.
I give him credit and support for facing a sensitive topic and addressing it.
Whether it is resolved by the authority upon his feedback, it remains to be seen.
But, it is a good start.
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lim biow chuan should drink two bowls full of mushroom soup, go up the bus and then experience the wonders of how these china drivers brake.
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Originally posted by iamgoondu:
SBST has improved their services alot as compared to SMRT. They had introduced DDs to 95, and there are short trip services to 200 and 95 during morning peak hours. On the other hand, SMRT frequencies to 970 was terrible, despite being the only bus service that linked Commowealth MRT and Holland Road. Moreover we now seeing more non-bendies plying on SMRT106. Seeing those DDs plying on SBST174, 7 would only make me fumes.
When circle line ply to Kent Ridge, I wondering if those NUS internal bus services have the capacity to accomodate the large crowd? And if NUS students would abandon Clementi MRT and make transfer at Kent Ridge instead? Or if NUS students would prefer to make bus transfer at BV instead of Kent Ridge ...
CCL does not have e capacity to crash load NUS & Pasir Panjang heading folks actually with its 7 mins freq and 3 carriage nature.
Though I would see 92, 95, 200's freq being slashed.
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Originally posted by Rock^Star:
lim biow chuan should drink two bowls full of mushroom soup, go up the bus and then experience the wonders of how these china drivers brake.
Just as you label PRC drivers, many car drivers are equally ah tiong if that being the case.wa laoz eh, more and more times of e-brake on right hand of expressway.
So Singaporeans are now Ah Tiongs in driving skill?
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Singaporeans quite a number cannot drive for nuts la. Little bit get angry. Siao.