Monday, January 20, 2014

Double Barrel Snafu

It was already difficult to write about the breakdown of the Bukit Panjang LRT Line on Sunday, coming so soon after the announcement of the insidious fare hikes. The really difficult part was SMRT's refusal to respond to queries on what actually caused the power failure to occur between Fajar and Bangkit station at about 9.19 am. That particular LRT system had two breakdowns causing delays exceeding 30 minutes last year, but obviously no red flag was raised. And in April 2012, the same line provided the first spectacular images of the uniquely Singapore skywalk, when 11 passengers had to a balance gingerly on the steel rails to reach the safety of the next station. Where the escalators fortunately did not burst into flames. The escalator fire was at Toa Payoh MRT station in April 10, 2012.

Blame PTC, not SMRT,
for fare hike
Before the explanation about the Bukit Panjang disruption could even make it to print, another snafu took place at the North-South Line (NSL) this morning, inflicting misery on  19,000 commuters at a Monday morning's peak hour rush. This time a signal fault at around 8.10 am supposedly caused a southbound train to stall about 500 metres from Ang Mo Kio station.

The Netflix PowerPoint presentation, which apparently went viral on the internet, is about their company approach to talent and culture and has 5 points.  The first two stands out in the light of our train failures:
1) Hire, reward and tolerate only fully formed adults
2) Tell the truth about performance

The first point confirms the obvious.  Not satisfied with playing soldiers, the kids are now placed in charge of a big train set. The frustration here is that their ongoing incompetence - the new team has been installed for over a year - is not only being tolerated, they are rewarded with fare hikes which will surely guarantee their bonus cheques. Point two is about transparency, which doesn't exist in their official lexicon. All they have is a string of euphemisms to stonewall until the next round of fare hikes.

SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek said "timing is most unfortunate" that the incident occurred just after a fare hike was announced last week. He sounds like saying the disruption is to be expected, situation normal all fouled up, and the only unfortunate element is the timing, not the big fail in performance. April 6 is still a few months ahead, maybe there's time to implement one Facebook fan's suggestion: "Why don't they introduce a system whereby fares will be reduced each time there is a breakdown?" Better still, dock the pay of the Lieutenant General in charge and his line up from the kindergarten sandpit.
Sorry guys, you can't vote us out

22 comments:

  1. When the transport companies earn huge profit, the management reward themselves with huge salaries, bonus and shares. LTA should follows your advice and introduce a system whereby fares will be reduced each time there is a breakdown and dock the pay of the management in charge. Huat Ah!

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  2. Rather steep learning curve. Thought they were all learned people already.

    Just step up and say sorry, then step down and exit stage right.
    Old soldiers should just fade away.

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  3. How far will you go to defend their million dollar salaries and million dollar homes?

    How far will you go to follow the orders of your Millionaire Generals?

    How far will you go in supporting the political party founded by a Chinese guy who worked as a “translator” for the Japanese Imperial Army in World War Two?

    QUESTION:
    What do you call a Chinese guy who works for the Japanese Imperial Army in World War Two?

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    Replies
    1. Lee kwan yew

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    2. Actually he is not a Chinese, he is a baba or peranakan.

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    3. I thought the guy is Singaporean.

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    4. But he was patriotic and working for his country Syonan-to and perhaps helping send new immigrants who might be a threat to his government for Sook Ching.

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    5. OCBC like what Bapok Ah Heng unashamedly calls himself?

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  4. The whole question of the public transport system is turning out to be a joke - only the joke is on the long suffering travelling public. From the Rear Admiral ( something about the rear that causes suspicion) to the General in charge it is all about semantics. In this little red dot incompetence is rewarded. As the PM said : disregard the criticisms.

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  5. "That particular LRT system had two breakdowns causing delays exceeding 30 minutes last year, but obviously no red flag was raised".

    No, the window for raising the red flag has closed and now is the time for the General to raise the WHITE FLAG.

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  6. You know what. The first thing our political masters did is to bring in their loyal generals who know almost next to nothing about running trains, what more efficiently. So what to you expect when the only thing they know is how to sack people ?

    What happened to the morale of those engineers on the ground when they are sidelined ? Do you expect them to work real hard when any good performance will be accorded to those jiak liao bee generals ?

    So is this LKY & son's brand of meritocracy when they parachute those inexperienced generals into positions which should rightfully go to their next best candidate ?

    Remember we are often told that our PM's wife also happens to be the only suitable candidate available in Singapore or the whole wide world ? What happened to her with those collusal losses ?

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    Replies
    1. Essentially they also saying none of the existing staff is really good enough or better suited than any of these generals?

      How do you feel if you happen to be one of those long service engineers who are sidelined by an outsider but yet has to teach these generals how to suck the nipple? If it is your own grandfather's company, would you want to employ someone to jiak liao bee your company? Strangely, PAP will just do it. Somemore dare to question WP for not taking a stand on some problem created by PAP themselves.

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  7. Its quite interesting how the leeders handle the series of transportation snafus. To push ahead with 2 fare hikes in 2014 and 2015 amidst more and more breakdowns and cock-ups seems to suggest that they are prepared to do "what is right" for them, ie make sure SMRT and SBS continue to be highly profitable at the expense of the public. This is nothing new for papigs, but unlike other cock-ups, train breakdowns and MCE cock-ups have massive political repercussion. Its becoming to be like Suharto's last years, where up there it's the last chance not to be missed to grab every 20% available before the final curtain drops.

    Btw, no one noticed the "revisions" downwards to NODX for October and November sugar-coated as a "december beat"? Its another epic data massaging, for 2 reasons: remember that GDP bonuses was approved based on the "rosy figures" of preliminary 2013 GDP? Also now that its revised downwards, 4Q 2013 GDP would be even more negative, meaning 1Q2014 would be an easy "beat" hence no technical recession again!. But now that 2013 GDP will be revised downwards, how will they spin it or explain to the public why they will not be clawing back the bonuses? Anyway, the ministeress' hubby is the CEO of IE responsible for such blatant massaging of trade figures, so more reasons to promote her despite more transport cock-ups then? Wat say teo about nepotism?

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  8. Asked how a fare hike can be justified given the spade of recent incidents, the Lt Gen CEO said the fare hike is a PTC decision, not a SMRT decision Hello, didn't the SMRT apply for a fare hike? Watch the video and his shifty eyes, and you know the wrong guy is in charge of our transportation system.

    http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/smrt-holds-briefing-address-delays-caused-train-fault-north-south-line

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    1. From the liberal dosage of weasel words, it seems like the only ones that are doing the 'fixing' are the spin doctors.

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    2. SMRT CEO "kong lan jiao wei"

      http://therealsingapore.com/sites/default/files/field/image/konglanjiaowei_0_0_0.jpg

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  9. We have heard the words "unfortunate" as excuse to brush off the incompetency of our so-called elites. What is real unfortunate is that all these SMRT hiccups will not be the last and so are the fare hike. Probably, the best soltuion is to threaten PAP with our votes to make them realise it is unfortunate that Singaporeans have to suffer all these and still pay through our nose.

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  10. I think the previous board when Ms Saw was CEO has a lot to answer for. If SMRT needs money to clean up the problem they should have a rights issue. Not raise fares.

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  11. @Tattler, please share this with your readers.

    http://failrailsg.appspot.com/jan2014.html

    The guys at failrail did a great job detailing how SMRT and SBS failed to meet the service level agreement for multiple months.

    There is no justification for a fare hike.

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  12. Please share this too
    http://thehearttruths.com/2014/01/20/why-are-singaporeans-double-paying-on-fares-and-taxes-for-the-profits-of-transport-operators/comment-page-1/

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    Replies
    1. Why Did The Government Approve The Highest Transport Fare Increase Amid The Lowest Increase In Real Wages?

      Because Singaporeans are wuss.
      They complain but will always vote PAP.

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  13. Timing unfortunate? Trains break down all the time - so there will never be a right time for fare hikes. Rewarding incompetence and poor performance. Spend the money going into unconscionable salaries in maintenance instead.

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