解决问题，有很多方法。有些治标，有些治本，有些什么都没治。

It’s not news that Singaporeans are generally unsatisfied with the public transport system, with the system seems to be public in terms of being publicly listed.

Improving public transport has been on the agenda for quite some time, but there seems no major improvement, apart from replacing the orange bus stops with metallic ones. As an user, perhaps, I should chip in my 2 cents worth of suggestions as well.

The most heard complaint about local public transport is the long waiting time. 所谓一寸光阴一寸金, who would like to wait up to 10mins and 20mins for a train and bus respectively during non-peak hours? And if the person has to make 2-3 transfers, the time just adds up. The most obvious way to improve satisfaction, thus, is to increase the frequency of the various transport modes, be it buses or trains. However, as the local public(ly- listed) transport system has to be serve its public (its shareholders) and be accountable to them (earn sufficient profits), one can expect that this suggestion will never be on top of their list.

Since the most obvious suggestion is a “no go”, perhaps implementing some of the measures below may help to up the satisfaction level of the users a little.
– Timetable available for public transport. Currently, timetables are available for certain buses and train services(eg the Changi Airport-Expo line). Extending it to all will allow commuters to be able to plan their time better and less frustration if they realize that they have to wait for a long time, since the waiting would not be a surprise with the time schedules readily available. However, this would be difficult, especially for long haul buses, given the uncertainty on the roads.
– Screens showing bus arrival times for all bus stops. Presently, such screens are found in selected bus stops in the city. Making it available to all bus stops would be greatly help people to plan their time better. For example, if the next bus is 15 mins away, commuters may consider to take a cab instead, instead of being frustrated at not knowing when the bus is coming. Though there is the IRIS system now whereby one has to pay $0.05 for each query.
– More sheltered bus stations. Despite having shelters at the bus stops, most of the time, the shelters are not much of a help, especially during times with heavy rain and strong wind. To decrease the unpleasantness of waiting, perhaps, bus stops can have a better shelter system and have connecting shelters to bus doors.
– Buses serving different portions of the same bus routes. This idea is somewhat similar to what SBS already has. For example, the service 14 has 3 other different variants eg 14e, 14A and 14B. To push this idea further, the bus companies maybe can create various variants to ply different parts of the route at the same time. This way, commuters can reach their destinations earlier, skipping stops which they do not want.
– Ensure availability of bus services plying to the nearest neighbourhood centre. It’s interesting to note that there are some places, which seem so near, take ages to reach by bus. That’s because despite the relatively short distance, there’s no direct bus to reach there, even though the destination is a well-known neighbourhood centre. For example, there are no buses from my place has no direct bus to Parkway Parade.
– Standing carriages/buses. Some train carriages have been converted some of their seats to standing ones. Perhaps, there can be an entire carriage or bus with only a few reserved seats, so as to squeeze in more people. But there has to be a limit, as it’s never pleasant to be on a squashed train (but better than being not on a train at all) and before it gets all too dangerous.
– Pushers. These days, in certain train stations, especially the busy ones, it’s common to spot persons in red with white gloves, encouraging people to go to the middle of the train carriages. This seems to be a polite version of the famous Tokyo train pushers, though it’s effectiveness is not even half of that. It’s time to get rowdy huh…
– PCK ad to promote the “graciousness” of waiting. Instead of the tagline “A Happy Journey Like That”, why not “A Happy Journey Starts from Waiting” to tell people that waiting is not that bad? But don’t blast the ad or paste the ads in all over the stations, please.
– Have a dining room on the MRT platforms. I know that we can’t eat in the stations, but perhaps, there could be dining rooms on the platforms. 7 mins wait (longer if there is a train fault) can be very long for those who are rushing to somewhere for a meal (eg going to office for breakfast). As some of them may have some food with them, why not have a room for them to eat (like those smokers’ room) so that there will not be chorus of growling stomachs on trains and they will feel less grumpy about the waiting time.
– Screens to show short clips/news/ads. TVs are good attention grabbing devices and time will seem to pass by quickly if there are some things to turn commuters’ attention way from the long waiting time. Current screens in the stations showing the arrival times of the next trains is too small and one who is standing far away can barely see a thing. Maybe showing clips to teach the 4 languages of “Please mind the platform gap”, “Please use the lift if you are carrying bulky items or are feeling unwell”, etc… or on how to squeeze into a squashed train carriage would be useful too.
– Provide entertainment in MRT stations or bus stops. Similar to the previous suggestion, entertainment could turn people’s attention way from the long waiting time. Entertainment can include leg massage (similar to those in airports), entertainers (eg clowns, jugglers) and free internet terminals. Make waiting a fun activity to do.
– Punching bags at stations/bus stops. An avenue for venting anger can also be provided for people who have waited too long for a train/bus or who have missed the train/bus as they are unable to squeeze into the packed vehicle.
– Free vouchers when waiting time exceeds a certain length. Singaporeans love free gifts and some compensation towards the long waiting time (esp train fault) would be comforting. At least it shows that the companies care.
– Fines for motorists who do not give way to buses. To ensure punctuality and smooth journey for buses, this can be implemented so that buses can 畅行无阻. But this will definitely prove to be unpopular to all drivers.
– Give shares or implement some profit sharing system. If the waiting time cannot be reduced, perhaps incentivizing people to wait would be a good idea. By issuing shares or the like, the companies can educate the public that the more you wait, the more the companies save and the more you earn (if it translates to more profits for the companies). Perhaps, people will then only be contended to wait.

Despite the various suggestions, ultimately, if the main problem isn’t tackled, whatever is done will still be the same…