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How come no one post this yet? http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1125779/1/.html

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An SMRT bus caught fire along the BKE this morning (Apr 17). Two STOMPers managed to snap pictures of the incident. One of the STOMPers, concerned, said: "A bus had caught fire on the BKE after the Mandai exit. Only the shell remaining -- perhaps the petrol tank caught fire." STOMPer Sajjad, who also saw the fire, said: "I first saw the bus on fire at about 8am. Then, on my way home at 11.30am, I saw the remains of the bus. "I wonder what happened. Hopefully nobody was injured and passengers had been evacuated safely. "Maybe the hot weather overheated the engine? SCDF said it received a call at about 7.30am today informing them of the bus on fire along BKE. Upon their arrival at the scene, the fire was already raging. SCDF officers managed to put out the fire within 10 minutes. There were no casualties in the incident.

KNS. no ARF for bus le. whats the reasoning this time? http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/S...ory_642826.html they better bring bus fares dowm

CHEVROLET cabs will join an increasingly bewildering array of taxi models on the road soon. Transport group SMRT Corp, the third biggest taxi operator here, has ordered 2,000 Chevrolet Tosca sedans from Chevy agent Alpine Motors. The Tosca is a Korean domestic name for the Epica - a popular Chevrolet executive sedan here. The taxi variant is a 2-litre turbodiesel vehicle with a six-speed automatic transmission. Alpine managing director Albert Pang said the 2,000 Chevy taxis will be delivered by 2012, and that SMRT has signed an option for more after that. The first ones will be delivered in the first quarter of next year. 'This deal took over two years to put together,' Mr Pang said, adding that 'a few other taxi companies have talked to us', but the Chevy cabs are only for SMRT for now. He would not disclose the price of the vehicle, but The Straits Times understands the Korean-made American model is close to what a Hyundai Sonata cab was priced at - about $50,000 without a Certificate Of Entitlement. SMRT was displaced recently as the second biggest cab operator here, after being overtaken by newcomer Trans-Cab. It has about 2,600 taxis on the road, compared with Trans-Cab's 4,000. At its second-quarter financial results announcement last week, the company said it would renew its ageing fleet and increase its number of vehicles. SMRT is known for its eclectic mix of taxis, which include Ssangyong, Chrysler, Mercedes and London cabs. Its taxi business has been making either losses or very modest profits in the last decade. For the quarter ended Sept 30, it posted an operating profit before taxes of $374,000 - down from $773,000 in the previous corresponding period. Including the Chevy, there are now 35 models of taxis here - nearly three times the variety five years ago. And 10 years ago, there were only a handful, with Toyota's Crown and Nissan's Cedric dominating the scene. But when the stricter Euro IV emission standard was implemented four years ago, the two Japanese stalwarts fell off the scene because they did not have variants that could meet Euro IV. Hence, the influx of new cabs. New models have included models from Honda, Volkswagen, Skoda and even China's Chery. And last year, Prime Taxis, the newest cab company here, started using petrol-electric hybrid cabs. Renault agent Wearnes Automotive has also been in talks with cab companies to supply vehicles. Despite the wide array of taxi types, the Land Transport Authority said there should be no risk of commuters wanting to flag one down mistaking them for ordinary cars.

asiaone article dunno what to say

this bendy bus TIB1105H caught fire in Aug 2008. my uncle and his team of technicians, together with mercedes engineers from germany, spent 2 years in re-building the entire rear and fixing new engines and other components. recently completed the major repair works. this bus will be out on the roads soon! SMRT could have scrapped the bus, but heard they spent a huge bomb to repair the bus.

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNew...426-212478.html

On 21/9/09 around 8:50pm, I cycled across a traffic junction intersecting sembwang road and sembwang walk. When the green man lights up, I cycled across and a taxi which was making a right turn honked at me and made a slight bump against the rear of my bicycle as there were no vehicles on the opposite direction. Just dun understand why is there such an attitude since the green man is on and I am not cycling at a very slow pace.

today is the 2nd day in service its on 854 again today is SMRT trying to cut cost? buying china bus lol credits to sgbuses for the pics

Just took a ride back home from Bedok as I'm not driving today. Hire a SMRT cab off the road and it was really a hell ride. On the way at PIE, that hell rider taxi driver was driving at 120km/h.. not only he tail gate the car infront and also high beam them..OMG.. and say they were driving too slow and blocking his way. The way he overtake car is also power.. i have to hold on to the handle near the door else my butt will start to shift left and right. i kindly told him i not in rush but he just said those car infront to slow.. . Got a few time the car was so near while he overtake i can just simply wind down the windows and reach into the other car cabin. Was really wondering nowadays the cost of insurance fee are rocket high and so much accident are involved with cabbie. Why our CASE only suggest "no fault claim" and don't do something about this group of dangerous cabbie driver. They should also suggest those cabbie driver to apply for insurance and pay the insurance premium like us in order to drive a cab else they can't feel the pain. Understand currently they only need to pay a deposit of $1k but will be forfeited if any accident occur. Anyway who know where and how to report this reckless SMRT taxi driver? anyway he drove a white SMRT taxi and the car plate is SHB1885B . Avoid him at all means!!

Was at CityHall MRT to get the new CEPAS EZlink card to use as fare card as well as for the new IU on my new bike. Asked the lady at the ticket counter and ended up chicken and duck talk, I refuse to switch to mandarin, instead went over to the other with a Malay lady who promptly answered my queries. That place full of Ang Mohs . . not sure what SMRT is thinking !!!! The lady speaks english but the accent and and command of english, I really struggled !!!

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,...,184950,00.html? Both the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT have said that their intention is not to fit more people into the train, but to give standing commuters more room so they can travel in greater comfort. IMHO... they think all passengers are naive and no brainer like them, this was highlight to me by my sec 2 nephew....Haha.. even school kid can tell their motive. What do forummers say ??

Hi there , look at this There's also pics of the cab and interior , PIW friendly. http://www.smrt.com.sg/Upload/20089221523767896.pdf

The incident: I was on clementi road(Commonweath Ave West) queueing up to turn in to Clementi ave 2. There were 2 lanes turning into the road, i took the outer lane. There was an accident at the opposite junction and traffic was slow, beside me was a SMRT bus(those extended long one). As i was approaching the turn, i saw the SMRT bus beside me sped up front and make left signal. i immediately put my car to stop knowing that he needed more space to turn into the road and it happened that the rear bumper of the SMRT bus hit/brush my car body just above the front wheel. i only managed to see the left bumper which has scratches and paint from my car, didn't see the car plate after making the turn. I stop by the road side to check my car, damage was dents and scratches. i didn't manage to follow the bus as it make a right turn after that. It was bus 184. Not knowing that bus 184 actually was a looping bus from bukit panjang, i went clementi interchange to check. When i reach Bukit Panjang interchange the person in charge told me that all the buses have returned to the depot at Kranji. When i reached Kranji, i asked for all the BUS 184 plate numbers from the counter. i manage to track which is the bus that has hit me as there was scratches on the bumper. They ask me to talk to the driver tomorrow and see how and also talk to thier claim dept tomorrow as they already went back. No report file on thier side and no police report made. what should i do next?

So this is profit not enough or losing money ??? Since begining, all this should be a kind of public service company...We are always told wage inflation do not work....But if company are making more money just simply by cutting on the common folks and making their Director etc have more dividened !!!! ""They"" earn more by taking more from common folks....but common folks cannot ask for wage inflation...seem like the rich always get richer are looking more and more obvoious day after day in sillypore!!!! http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20080802/tap-...at-231650b.html

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin.../345585/1/.html Fifteen injured as buses collide By Loh Chee Kong, TODAY | Posted: 05 May 2008 0648 hrs SINGAPORE: A collision at Admiralty Road between an SMRT bus and a private bus left 15 people injured on Sunday evening. According to a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesperson, the casualties suffered injuries ranging from head wounds to fractures to the arms, ankles and collarbones. The SCDF received a call about the accident at 8.36pm and several ambulances arrived on the scene. Except for one casualty who was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the rest

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin.../340087/1/.html SINGAPORE: Transport operator SMRT has clinched the "Best Passenger Experience" award at the inaugural Metro Awards 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Metro Awards is part of MetroRail, an annual conference of the urban rail industry worldwide which met from 1 to 3 April this year. Other finalists of the "Best Passenger Experience" award included Copenhagen Metro, MTR Corporation Limited (Hong Kong) and The Warsaw Metro Ltd. They were judged on factors such as value for money, efficiency and reliability, as well as cleanliness and security. SMRT said the international award for service excellence came shortly after it won the "Most Customer-Friendly Transport" award, presented by Singapore's Land Transport Authority. - CNA/so

Arul John Mon, Mar 24, 2008 The New Paper Can S'pore find a FARE SOLUTION PICTURE this: It's 6.30am. You tap your ez-link card on the reader and the window invites you to proceed - for free. No such thing as a free ride you say? Think again. From 31 Mar, passengers in Melbourne who arrive at their destination by 7am, from Mondays to Fridays, will travel for free. The move is aimed at reducing peak-hour congestion on the city's transportation network. It is an attempt to solve the same jam-packed train situation that is played out at stations every morning in Singapore. Could such an incentive system be implemented in Singapore? There are two camps - some ask 'why not?', others say 'cannot'. WHY NOT? The first camp feels it is possible, as a similar method has already been implemented, in a manner, on Singapore roads through staggered Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges. Under the ERP, you pay more during peak hours. The idea is to maintain a smooth flow of traffic. Such staggered charges have proven effective in easing peak-hour traffic congestion. So why not staggered train fares in Singapore (never mind free rides)? Transport policy expert Paul Barter, from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, told The New Paper that such a system would help distribute the heaviest traffic over a longer period instead of just during peak periods. He said: 'It gets more efficient use out of the existing system that was built at great expense - for example, filling up early-morning trains that would normally be empty.' In Melbourne, a trial on two train lines that began last October found that more than a quarter of passengers who travelled during peak hours altered their travel times to take advantage of the free rides, reported Australian newspapers. In Adelaide, too, public transport fares are 25 to 45 per cent cheaper between 9am and 3pm, compared to earlier and later peak periods. Ms Tammy Tan, spokesman for SBS Transit, which operates the North-East line, said a staggered-fare system is possible in Singapore. She declined to elaborate. But SMRT, which operates the North-South Line, said it prefers to cut congestion by increasing the frequency of train runs. Since last month, both train operators added an extra 93 trips to their rail lines during peak hours. An SMRT spokesman said granting travel concessions had to be done prudently as any concessionary or free travel would have to be cross-subsidised by full fare-paying passengers. She added that SMRT commuters already get a 10-cent discount if they travel before 7.30am on weekdays and on Saturdays, provided they begin their journey from outside the city area and alight within the city area. Staggered ERP charges have already spurred some Singaporeans to alter their driving habits to avoid paying more ERP charges. Will cheaper fares at certain times make train commuters do the same? Lawyer Sean Say, 35, believes so. 'Singaporeans are practical people. If they see that the fare discount is good enough, they may be willing to try a staggered-fare system,' he said. 'Many working parents often have time to kill after they send their kids to school and before they start work. 'Staggered fares may encourage them to go to work earlier and thus reduce overcrowding during peak periods.' Magazine editor Sheryl Han, who is in her 30s, agreed. 'Despite the increase in frequency, the trains are still very crowded from 8am to 9am.' CANNOT? But freelance marketing consultant Sean Kwok, 32, thinks staggered fares may not work. 'If the fare difference is only 10 or 20 cents (between different periods), most people may just pay a little more so they can sleep in a little longer.' Also, just as traffic on some non-ERP-priced roads has become heavier because of motorists trying to avoid ERP charges, a similar situation may occur on the trains under a staggered or free-ride system. Many people may take trains earlier to take advantage of the fare discounts, said Mr Kwok, and end up packing the trains earlier. Would it then become a situation where train congestion simply begins earlier, he wondered. Lawyer Gloria James, who is in her 30s, suggests the option of offering cheaper fares for those who travel to work later. She said: 'After all, the trains start operating at around 6am, which coincides with the peak travel time for schoolchildren. An hour or so later, it's the peak travel period for office workers.' But is it fair to make commuters pay more if they travel during peak hours? Dr Barter noted: 'It would have to be framed as a discount for off-peak travel, not a surcharge for peak travel. 'In Singapore, where public transport operators are expected to cover their own operating expenses, any off-peak discounts would probably need to be balanced by an increase in peak fares - and this would obviously be unpopular among many people.' While staggered fares would help ease overcrowding in trains, transport economist Michael Li from the Nanyang Business School said Singapore should not rush into it until the costs have been assessed. 'We have to mindful of 'at what cost' and 'who bears the cost',' he said. 'The Government would have to subsidise bus and MRT operators to enable free or cheaper public transport during non-peak periods. 'This is unlikely to happen.' SO HOW? Dr Barter said peak fares may not have to go up if off-peak discounts can help get more people onboard public transport. 'But these effects may be limited in Singapore now. So here, staggered fares would mean higher prices during the peak and lower prices off-peak. 'Unfortunately, there would be some winners but too many noisy losers for this to be a popular policy.' So, 'why not' or 'cannot'? The answer may lie again in the Melbourne example. Reason: There, the transit system is run by the state.

Watching Channel 8 show right now. We are going to have FT Bus drivers from China. What are your opinions?

SMRT fined almost C for 7-hour train disruption in January Posted: 10 March 2008 1804 hrs SMRT fined almost S$400,000 for 7-hour train disruption in January SMRT will be fined almost S$400,000 for the severe disruption to its train services on 21 January. The Land Transport Authority, which imposed the S$387,176 fine, has given SMRT up to two weeks to justify why that the penalty should not be imposed. The LTA concluded that the 7-hour disruption was due to SMRT's working party not complying with operating procedures. This was specifically on securing the parked portion of the maintenance train, which comprised a locomotive and a wagon. According to operating procedures, during maintenance works, the portion comprising a locomotive and a RGV (Rail Grinding Vehicle) will proceed with its works, while the portion of the maintenance train is detached and parked at a distance from the working zone. However, investigations from LTA and SMRT showed that on 21 January, SMRT did not apply the locomotive's parking brake. There was also no wheel chock placed to prevent movement along the gradient of the track. If SMRT had followed operating procedures, a roll-back would have been prevented. Some 57,000 MRT passengers in the eastern part of Singapore were affected by the disruption, which occurred in the morning. Train services were disrupted for seven hours and 17 minutes between Tanah Merah and Pasir Ris MRT stations. - CNA/ir http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin.../334015/1/.html heard from the channel 8 news earlier members of the public may comment and state their views on this at xin.sg urs?

Also stated in today "The New Paper" that both the transport operators will be applying to Public Transport Council to raise bus and train fare in the annual fare revision exercise. "The fare changes, if accepted, will be announced next month and will kick in by October" as stated in the paper. Very soon, taxi, private bus companies, school bus.... etc will follow suit and asked for increase. So everything is increasing and hurt our pocket. How to encourage to have more children.

Channel NewsAsia SINGAPORE: Both SBS Transit and SMRT have applied to the Public Transport Council to raise bus and train fares. The exact fare increment will be determined later, using a standard formula, in this annual fare revision exercise. Energy costs have been a big drain on the two big public transport operators. Both companies have quoted rises of between 20 and 26 percent in this area alone. SBS Transit said manpower costs