Ex-SMRT Staff on why SMRT kaput

[Good-Carbuyer]

That is when too much cost cutting is put in place.

A public transport operator like SBS or SMRT shouldn't use profit as a measure of image projection. More to the availability of services.

 

Cable ties can be used if it is for holding the part temporary during repairs, not when the trains are in service.

Why didn't they think of welding the parts together. A single weld can withstand the weight of at least a ton.

When you need to remove the welded part, you can simply cut it off.

It used to be the standard practice to apply only the most expensive methods to impress others that a lot of efforts and funds expended to get things done. Using cable ties is cheap abnormal protocol, only a surprise for us.

[Good-Carbuyer]

I think LTK should seriously press for a proper investigation committee consisting of at least one opp MP!!! no more kakilang committee

You got the point. You are right. Malingers in SMRT will likely be exposed

[Good-Carbuyer]

Pleees lah, her performance is top-notch by any standards!!! especiall at the.....................

Tiger show performance?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D&D at RWS.... no?

 

[Good-Carbuyer]

actually in some applications cable tie can be stronger than steel fasteners reason being cable tie is strong while having some flexibility to withstand vibrations. steel fasteners while strong is rigid and can result in stress points and snap.

 

under constant vibration bolts and nuts can see the nuts loosening after little use so something like loctite, double nuts, spring washers, etc. needs to be used.

 

just beware that cable ties the catch will give way if the pressure is too high. so appropriate sized cable ties should be used.

Let us hope your cable tie can really withstand vibrations beyond just a temporary fix.

[Good-Carbuyer]

Yes but when the trains have 1 too many breakdown.....Chop Head.....must follow the outside world.. then probably All CEO will wake up

If chop CEO, many more may also need to be chopped?

[2BDriver]

I hope the below are not Hard Truth for this time being.

 

An UNCONFIRMED rumour has surfaced. Apparently

CEO was not as ignorant as to what caused the

breakdown as she claimed. SMRT was aware of the

problem and had in fact comissioned at least one

external study. The consultants recommended a rather

expensive solution which was rejected by SMRT in favour

of a more cost effective internal solution. This was a

classic case of penny wise pound foolish since the cheap

fix did not work and there was massive damage to the

system instead.

 

Empirical evidence to support this rumour surfaced today from Ministar L.. press conference. The damage appears extensive and occurred over an extended period of time. It is not possible that it could have been missed or that SMRT was completely unaware of the problem.

 

If SMRT was really completely unaware as CEO is claiming, then the situation is potentially even more serious since thousands of Singaporeans are riding every day on a potential death trap.

 

SMRT vs Saw vs L.T.A vs Te....k vs Gahment

 

As the title suggest there are too many stakeholders pulling from various sides on a single national entity that has become a daily and important feature of nearly everyone in Singapore. Multiple agendas are never good. These are little snippets.

 

Couple of noteworthy points to consider. Please add on.

SMRT is a listed business and majority owned by T......k. They do not own the infrastructure. They have leased it from L.T.A for 30 years. They have no interest in the infrastructure. When overcrowding became a safety issue at Jurong East, this lady could not be bothered. She did not build the infrastructure and any additional build work was the responsibility of the L.T.A.

Besides trains, SMRT operates Light rail, buses and taxis. They also consider two other businesses as revenue streams and this is where Saw comes in.

Both rental and advertising are major revenue streams. Saw was recruited in 2002 via headhunters. At that time, she had no notable links to the establishment.

SMRT was incorporated in 2000 and came under majority control of T.....k. It was time to make money. They assumed that as the infrastructure was completed and they could rely on L.T.A to build the next phases of the line, the focus turned to other revenue streams. A simple terms, you just switch on and off the train switch as Singapore's history on infrastructures were pretty solid.

So the role remit was focused on rental and advertising for the new CEO. As MRT stations are not suitable for offices but shops, the natural incline was to look at that industry.

So in comes this Lady and in 2 years she launches Raffles Xchange as the new shopping experience for Singaporeans. Both Advertising and Rentals have done well and the occupancy rate is close to 99%.

Most people are aware of deteriorating quality of MRT and they have accepted it past of the overall drop in standards across gahment. One recent trivial incidents explains this quite well - the Ah Tiong bus driver who took instructions from control and went on 2 hr jaunt across the island. Thursday's incidents showed how badly it was when an incident management was completely missing. People were stranded, no comms, no idea and no one in the house.

 

We have also assumed that MRT was one single entity but it is not. The Gahment made a singular mistake by treating it as a business and not a politically sensitive icon that it is. It reflects badly on the new generation of politicians. I do remember when old man told the press that PSA workers striking is treason. As it was the lifeblood of a fledgling nation, he was right. It now all about helping T.....k to look good.

 

As to Saw, this lady has been wrongly associated with the establishment and people within and outside have placed to much of value in her. Sadly she has used it to the hilt and she is now truly in the establishment. She now holds key and influential positions outside SMRT.

 

It about time L.T.A separates rentals, advertising and non train activities from the train services and let go of the taxi and bus services. If SIA was to run along these lines, it would have gone up in flames. SIA has no interest in Changi Airport rentals and there is a reason why and they are their main customer. Some people call it common sense.

 

There is no subsidy. It actually belongs to L.T.A, paid for by L.T.A and maintained by L.T.A. Only rolling stock belongs to them and detachable assets belong to them. It's even better than subsidy. This is the same "template when PSA, Power Stations etc were given away to H.C..... It was never packaged to serve the public, it was serve T.....k's needs. Agree on their profit component. Their financial reports are substandard and no different to all other GLC with the exception of DBS and SIA which were packaged by the old guards. They brought in an ex-goalkeeper to coach the National Football team and their focus is to keep the ball out of the net. Who is going to score for them, who is going to increase services, who is going to look after commuters stuck in the train has yet to be worked with L.T.A.

 

She is a Malaysian who studied in NUS. She went to work in DFS who at that time was owned by British Expat couple based in HK. That couple was fabulously rich and threw the most swankiest parties for friends on the Island and on their yacht. She often traveled to HK and was based there occasionally. It was the people in Temasek who were looking for a someone who was in tune with shopping. Nothing to do with HK MTR. DFS was subsequently sold and she was given a package.

 

As I said in another thread, they thought that L.T.A built the MRT with on and off switch, so they were not looking for someone with transport background. It no different to guys who court the female gender for sex and good looks and there are some who are looking for a mother for their kids. The smart ones will look for a smart partner for sex with good looks and a good mother all rolled into one.

 

 

Bro, this is what I gathered so far.There has been a series of maintenance failures mainly minor and medium that has been occurring for sometime. There has also been a rounds of tai chi to push some to L.T.A as structural. people who sit on SMRT board are more powerful than anyone in L.T.A.Apparently the 3rd rail or power rail (I have no idea what it means and this is the first I heard of a third rail) was not attached properly after maintenance on only one part of the sector and took out connectors that power the trains and 4 trains have been affected.The incident management is what led the cat out of the bag about poor management.

 

I heard that the inquiry is gong thru the entire maintenance logs to see how they have been done.I also heard that no matter what comes out, this lady is history. She is no longer in charge of the inquiry and will be treated as a respondent.The powers have realised that her poor PR management is an issue. They took great exception for stating that she is providing "free" bus replacement service. Something that Kingrant noted as a boo boo which others have missed.

 

I am sure they are all sitting around a table figuring how to handle this politically. Some have bet on the SAF scholar to take the fall.

Edited December 24, 2011 by Fongmy

[KARTer]

Arthur, Bleeds lah !

1) Opp.Camp remains weak if MIW continue using their typical gutter political competition without Fair Level Plays Field to wins vote.

2) I think WP strategy is to waiting for some serious scandal to surface and they'll grips hard before MIW label them as Green-Eye-Monster(eg.JBJ/CSC/FS/TLH). Previuosly, many cans of worm exposed but the slippery worm slime helps MIW narrowly escaped.

3) CHANGE will only possible with our YG political awareness with their voting right's sloting in together with 39.9% Opp.Hardcore as soonest before out-number by the fast growing "New Citizens". You & me needs to discuss with our children's about politics in good reasonings perspectives without prejudice, also need to convince them to speaks out to their classmates and friends to take charge in undoing the wrong's.

4) Private Businesses in disguise ! But MIW commercially links and involvements is damn obvious, I'm sicked to list any, there are too many, too well known. Mother stayed back-stage and wife is fronting center stagging her gripping power, even that whitish men can't beat her but to ran away in silence. Please tell me which one is more cunnilingus ? with 2 choices "F or S" ?

5) Kindly name for me any Politician in this world whom Willingly Give-away his People's Land to others ? Please recall historical balck & white TV screening of a man wipes his tears with his white hankerchief for the failed merging ! Now, it's getting from bad to worst, yet still remaining his firm stands to brings in foreigners to cannibalize his own peoples harborless livings.

6) SMRT CEO will never resign, because MIW would not like to create this kind of culture in it's mighty systems, plain words to say is.."Don't Rock The Boat ! Others will fell overboard and sink"

more, when we meet to stir kopi....

Edited December 24, 2011 by KARTer

[Hachi]

Why it is called the 3rd rail, because it uses the same rail that the trains sit on. Just that it is placed upside down for the collector shoe to draw power from.

[Happily1986]

Why it is called the 3rd rail, because it uses the same rail that the trains sit on. Just that it is placed upside down for the collector shoe to draw power from.

 

no. the train does not rest on the third rail as it does on the two rails. the third rail runs adjacent to the train and simply serves as a conduit from which electricity can be tapped for locomotion.

[Chinablue]

Cost cut millions on maintenance for what? Can use the money save to hire half naked men to carry her?

 

really cost cut and skirm to the max!no wonder the men are all naked and have no clothes to wear.

[Relagsingh]

Thanks for the scoop Fong

[Sony]

One of the remedy action they took was to use cable ties on the claws....REALLY? Something that has to endure trains passing by numerous times a day use cable ties as a backup? Cable tie to me is more like cheap and fast method, that's it.

 

Someone explain to me how it works. I mean I am really keen to know.

 

Surely there is a more secure method right?

 

 

yes. there is a more SECURE method. used 2 cable tie

[Wind30]

Priest lah. CEO is hired to run the company, not run the trains. LOL...

 

errr... but when she appointed her former HR kaki from DFS as COO (who is in charge of running the trains)... I think that is crosses the line in my book.

[Wind30]

wey..... who owns and runs the trains???....

 

I thought it was common knowledge that for 3 years the SMRT COO was a HR guy from DFS.....

 

duhh.... that I thought is really stupid.....

 

HR..... all the HR people I know is well... nice people but not very errr.... effective.

[Qms]

Somebody told me that some companies offer SMRT to upgrade their infra/system many years ago as it was getting old.

But SMRT rejected them all....I guess to save money.

 

So now we are seeing the result of such a decision.

[2BDriver]

Thanks for the scoop Fong

Don't mention Bro, you're most welcome.

[Playtime]

Any employers here want to reason why some older workers were asked to leave?

 

In any company(esp engineering depts), pioneering old birds become very knowledgable about the systems, and very protective of what they see as their "baby", often refusing to compromise on what they see as short cuts they know will be bad in the long (even medium) term. They are often very influential due to their seniority too, as in technicians and engineers may even be friends with MDs nd CEOs etc.

 

So when new management (esp "profit maximising" ones) come in, getting rid of the old birds is a natural idea.

1) Having no idea at all about whats going on, they think maintenance is like sales forcasting on excel spread sheets that can just change with a few clicks, so they slash engineers and budget, to increase sales staff.

2) They cant understand what the engineering folks are telling them, so engineers think they are stupid, they think engineers are disrespectful. Personal fueds.

3) They simply need to remove people who disagree with them. By sacking, retrenching or forcing "voluntary retirement".

[2BDriver]

In any company(esp engineering depts), pioneering old birds become very knowledgable about the systems, and very protective of what they see as their "baby", often refusing to compromise on what they see as short cuts they know will be bad in the long (even medium) term. They are often very influential due to their seniority too, as in technicians and engineers may even be friends with MDs nd CEOs etc.

 

So when new management (esp "profit maximising" ones) come in, getting rid of the old birds is a natural idea.

1) Having no idea at all about whats going on, they think maintenance is like sales forcasting on excel spread sheets that can just change with a few clicks, so they slash engineers and budget, to increase sales staff.

2) They cant understand what the engineering folks are telling them, so engineers think they are stupid, they think engineers are disrespectful. Personal fueds.

3) They simply need to remove people who disagree with them. By sacking, retrenching or forcing "voluntary retirement".

3) They simply need to remove people who disagree with them. By sacking, retrenching or forcing "voluntary retirement".

Fogetting to have A Golden Handshake to express gratitude for their loyal and hard labour contributions too.........