IMO, public transport companies like SBS and SMRT should never be profit orientated... but then hor, that is just my opinion cos' the gahmen makes more money this way
I wonder if any of the ministers (esp. Raymond Lim) take the SMRT/BUS for 2 months in a roll, live on a pay of $2000/month with 3 young children, a wife and 2 aged parents to take care of in order to feel the effects before implementing any policies at all?
Transport Minister Lim discourages quick fixes to address people's concerns By S.Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 30 July 2008 2208 hrs
SINGAPORE:
Transport Minister Raymond Lim has spoken against going for popular and quick fixes when seeking to address the concerns and anxieties of Singaporeans at times of economic stress, as these could worsen the underlying problems. He said the key is to find better ways to address these problems.
Speaking at the Berita Harian Achiever of the Year Award event on Wednesday, he explained that helping those in need could be accomplished in ways other than to control prices and keep out the competition.
He said: "The government's approach is to provide targeted help to needy families to cope with these general cost pressures through measures such as Growth Dividends, GST Credits and Workfare Income Supplement.
“Unlike wage and price controls, such measures do not lead to a fall in production and help raise the standard of living of low income workers without discouraging firms from hiring them."
Mr Lim touched on the recent Parliament sitting where he was asked whether the government could freeze Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates until the cost of living stabilised.
But he warned that if Singapore's roads are not priced correctly through the ERP, the overall costs to Singapore as a whole would go up and not down.
These costs would be hidden in the form of time lost and extra fuel consumed being stuck in traffic.
Mr Lim stressed that if Singapore froze ERP, congestion on the roads would increase.
This would not only affect individual motorists, who would spend more time in traffic, but all other road users like buses, taxis and commercial vehicles as well.
Mr Lim is confident that Singapore will ride out the current economic difficulties.
He said that's because the country has, through the years in good and bad times, steadfastly built a market economy that has the flexibility to absorb external shocks. - CNA/vm