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Tag: LTA

  • No Booking Function In LTA’s New App

    No Booking Function In LTA’s New App

    The Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) launched an application on Wednesday (Dec 17) that allows commuters to check for available taxis in their vicinity, or broadcast their location to taxi drivers.

    But the app’s lack of a booking service drew criticism from some netizens, with one comparing it to “having a Playstation 4 but no games to play”.

    Mr Calvin Cheng wrote in a Facebook post: “This is genius. Creating an app that tells you where the nearest taxis are, but doesn’t allow you to book. So what are people meant to do? Hunt down available taxis on foot?”

     

    On Wednesday afternoon, local blogger Mr Brown started the #RenameTaxiAppByLTA hashtag on Twitter, which swiftly gained traction. By 5.37pm, it had become a local trending topic, according to Twitter trends tracker Trendsmap Singapore, with many tweeting alternative names for the app such as Right Here Waiting.

    However, some commuters did like the app. Mr ZY Chong commented on LTA’s Facebook page that detractors were off the mark, and even described the app as a game-changer: “You guys are missing the point. This app gives access to location data of ALL taxis. It’s a game changer feature that is not available in any third party app.”

    Another netizen said on Twitter that the app would be good for those who do not want to pay booking fees.

  • Elderly Man Dead After Accident Involving SMRT Bus

    Elderly Man Dead After Accident Involving SMRT Bus

    An accident involving an SMRT bus and a pedestrian left one elderly man dead on Monday (Nov 17).

    The Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted to the incident along Jurong East Street 32 at 11.57am. They sent one ambulance to the scene, but the man in his 70s – later identified by SMRT as Mr Tan – was pronounced dead at the scene.

    Channel 8 News quoted eyewitnesses as saying that the lower half of the elderly man’s body was mangled, while a walking stick was seen on the road. It also said the bus windscreen was shattered in the accident.

    The driver was reportedly a 34-year-old female, according to Channel 8 News. Her relatives told Channel 8 News that she had only joined SMRT eight months ago, but had 13 years’ experience driving buses in Malaysia.

    An SMRT spokesperson said: “We would like to express our deepest condolences to Mr Tan’s family. We are currently cooperating with the traffic police on the investigations. We have contacted Mr Tan’s family and will render assistance as best as we can during this very difficult time.”

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • High-Speed Rail Link Between Singapore and Malaysia to Miss 2020 Deadline

    High-Speed Rail Link Between Singapore and Malaysia to Miss 2020 Deadline

    SINGAPORE’S Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday it has not been informed by Malaysian authorities that the upcoming high-speed rail link project between the two countries will bust the 2020 deadline.

    Mr Syed Hamid Albar, chairman of Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Commission, said in an interview on Tuesday that the deadline will be missed even after using government land as much as possible to avoid property-acquisition disputes.

    The project may take six to seven years to complete once construction starts by 2016, Mr Syed Hamid told Bloomberg.

    This would effectively mean that the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur high-speed rail link may not be able to meet the 2020 deadline.

    Source: www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia

  • LTA’s Weaknesses Shown in Recent ACS(I) Charter of MRT Trains

    LTA’s Weaknesses Shown in Recent ACS(I) Charter of MRT Trains

    On Tuesday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it is looking into taking action against SMRT Corporation for permitting its trains to be chartered by a school to convey students to a sports event. The LTA has taken the view that its permission should have been sought before SMRT agreed to the charter.

    The LTA’s position has several points of weakness.

    First, as a matter of principle, the chartering of trains is no different from doing the same for buses or cabs. Further, the chartering of trains has been commonplace for large-scale events such as the National Day Parade and its previews.

    Second, the chartering of trains is more than simply novel. It helps ease the traffic on the roads by reducing the number of heavy-load vehicles and is arguably more efficient for transporting a large number of people, as in this case.

    Third, it reflects and reinforces a permission-seeking culture that limits the behaviour of organisations — in this case both the school and SMRT — to find the best ways to utilise their finite resources.

    Fourth, the news that the trains had been chartered was made public before the event and so the LTA had time to intervene if it truly felt chartering would degrade the provision of services to the public. It did not do so. Why not?

    REGULATORY CULTURE

    This episode has also put the spotlight on the regulatory culture adopted by the LTA and applied to all public transport operators.

    If the issue boils down to whether permission is required, then it speaks of a low-trust, rigid culture between the regulator and SMRT.

    This is worrying as it suggests there has been a breakdown in the relationship between the two parties, with the regulator more concerned about the appearance than the substance of operations. If so, it may make managing public expectations more challenging, as the public will be left questioning the rationale of the regulation.

    Instead, the issue should be whether due care had been taken by SMRT in determining whether there would be a disruption in service before it agreed to the charter. This would indicate a high-trust, flexible relationship with the regulator that focuses on total merit rather than specific slices of interest in decision-making.

    The LTA should not be second-guessing SMRT or other transport operators it regulates on every operational decision. This would introduce inefficiencies and also reduce confidence on the part of the transport operator to make decisions.

    How we deal with episodes such as this tells us more about ourselves than about the event itself. Singapore and Singaporeans should be known for being rational in making assessments and not for making knee-jerk reactions or over-reading into impressions. In a complex space where trade-offs are a regular feature of life in the nation, we do not have the luxury of friction-free decisions, but that does not mean we need to be fractious on every issue.

    Returning to the issue of the regulatory culture, much can and should be improved so that there need not be a public exhibition of regulation on each and every operational issue that appears to have the potential to invoke passing public interest. This is not to keep regulatory matters opaque, but to avoid tripping into a culture of appearance- rather than principle-led regulation.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

    Devadas Krishnadas is the chief executive of Future-Moves Group, an international strategic consultancy and executive education provider based in Singapore.

    Source: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/when-public-display-regulation-not-needed?page=1

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  • LTA May Take Action Against SMRT for Allowing ACS (I) to Five Charter MRT Trains Without Approval

    LTA May Take Action Against SMRT for Allowing ACS (I) to Five Charter MRT Trains Without Approval

    SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is looking at taking “appropriate action” against SMRT after Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) chartered five MRT trains to transport students and teachers to a rugby match on Tuesday (Aug 26).

    MediaCorp’s 938 Live reports that more than 3,000 students, staff and other supporters such as parents and alumni match were to be ferried to the match in time for its 4pm kick-off. The hired trains travelled from One-North station to Stadium MRT station at seven-minute intervals.

    LTA said SMRT did not seek its approval before agreeing to provide the service to ACS(I). “Under the Circle Line licence, SMRT has to seek LTA’s prior approval for the provision of train services that are not open to the general commuting public,” LTA said in a statement.

    LTA said it has also reminded SMRT that its primary focus must be to ensure good service delivery to the commuting public at large.

    The ACS(I) principal had explained that chartering trains was more convenient than hiring 80 buses for the same price. Still, the resulting photos of trains flooded with a sea of yellow shirts and the sight of the school motto “The best is yet to be” flashing on LED signs on board set tongues wagging on social media.

    The ACS boys beat St Andrew’s Secondary School 28-8 in the National C Division Rugby final.

    Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/acs-i-rugby-train-ing-lta/1331292.html

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