Welcome Home !!!

By Ghui -

Transport woes have plagued Singaporeans for months now. From multiple breakdowns to the latest bus driver strikes furore

C the drama continues to unfold unabated. The latest issue in contention is whether bus fares ought to be hiked in order for the drivers to be better paid.

I wonder if we are examining our transportation problems appropriately. Of course, it is a forgone conclusion that for an efficient transportation system

to be maintained, sufficient spending is required, which would include paying our drivers adequately in order to avoid the present scenario. However, should

that “sufficient spending” come from fee hikes? Perhaps, fee adjustments are necessary but in the absence of conclusive statistics in that regard, I

shall refrain from comment. What I am concerned about, however, is whether the powers be are conveniently simplifying matters without really trying to

understand the crux of the situation. Will fee hikes really alleviate the transportation difficulties? It seems to me that fee hikes should be the last resort

as opposed to the solution. SMRT has been in profit for years. Although its profits have declined this year, it still remains financially healthy. Given its still

relatively robust bank account, surely it ought to be able to run its transportation services well without talk of fee hikes yet? Singaporeans are rightly

concerned about the developments in the bus driver situation. Most Singaporeans rely on public transportation services. This is especially so in light of

the soaring car prices in Singapore. Given that the majority of Singaporeans utilise public transport, the quality and affordability of our bus and MRT

services are paramount. For the transportation services to run effectively, its drivers have to be motivated. There are many factors that contribute to

motivation. Pay is but one of them. Aside from pay, the drivers have to feel valued. They have to believe that there is a future for them in the company

for which they work. From what I understand from news reports, the drivers in the centre of this controversy feel neither valued nor looked after.

Their salaries are low and they do not feel any sense of loyalty to the company for which they work because they do not feel as if the company cares

for their welfare. Given that SMRT appears to have unilaterally amended the terms of their contract, I have some sympathy for their angst.

Instead of making this an issue of whether or not bus fares need to be hiked, surely it is time for SMRT to seriously consider its model of business.

As many before me have pointed out, transportation services cannot be overly profit driven. There is after all an intrinsic social value in its

continued efficiency beyond the numbers game. A well-run transportation system also contributes to the economy in unquantifiable ways. It ensures

that people get to work on time. It encourages investment by facilitating convenience. It can also boost tourism. In fact,

SMRT’s own CEO, Desmond Kuek has indicated that SMRT’s focus on profit is one of the many factors why the transport operator has been facing problems.

I am not suggesting that profit making is not important. All I am saying is that it should not be the only goal where public services are concerned.

Besides, if profit is so important, why are some of SMRT’s top executives so well paid? The Saw Phaik Hwa debacle certainly left a sour taste in the

mouths of many Singaporeans because it begged the question of why SMRT was paying a seemingly incompetent employee top dollar?

To improve our transportation system and make it once again ship shape, the question to ask is not if bus fares should be increased but whether

SMRT’s business model is still relevant in light of the problems that have surfaced. As a start, it will have to focus more on its passengers and

not on its bank account. Next it will have to examine if its spending is as efficient as it can be which would include an in depth look at the salaries

of its top executives. I am all for rewarding employees for a good job done but for a reward to have any meaning, it has to be deserved.

To say that bus fares have to be increased in order for the drivers to be better paid over simplifies the problem(s) and dare I say, appears to be

a smoke screen for bigger issues.