Transportation blues...

RE: ComfortDelGro revises taxi fares
RE: Singapore to become a premium car market? In a span of 3 days, we have been hit by probably two of the most unwelcomed news of the year; the reduced COE quota for small cars next year and an increased taxi fare starting next Monday. It is easy to say that "hey, we have one of the best public transportation in the world", so the lowering of COE quota is not going to hit many, much. BUT the growing population is crowding them out in public transportation too.

The big question is, how did the Ministry work this magical figure since there isn't seem to be a balance? Not only the price of vehicle is going to break records after records, the price of public transport is increasing as well; the ever increasing buses and MRT prices and the latest announcement on the hike of Taxi fares. Everything seems to be hiking BECAUSE they say that there is an increased demand. Who doesn’t know it, increased population is going to increase the population density; since the LAND SIZE is not going to increase.

For commoners like us, surely, if we cannot afford to buy a car, we would most definitely have to turn to public transport, isn’t it? With them increasing the public transport fees as well, how would they expect us to move from one place to another? Next suggestion in line.. go healthy, you either cycle or walk. It is simply nonsensical to increase the load on Singaporeans without first solving the over-over-overcrowding public transportation. I also do not think that there is much significant increase in the pay packet for the lower income, the increased fees is not doing to do any good as a whole.

Next, there should be more conversations between Ministries to keep the growth in line to lessen the load on Singaporeans as a whole; the immigration policies (number of PRship and foreigner permits given annually), the settlement of population (where they stay) and diversion of commercial (instead of having high business density at Raffles Place) to spread the population density across the city-island. The rate of transportation policy is then introduced in tandem with the rate of how the “people” move around as stated above. This would reduce the “pain” that we as citizens feel than the current plight of having to experience everything when population is still crowding the key places out, the housing and relocation of businesses, like Paya Lebar commercial hub, have yet to take place.

UPDATE: Taxi fare revisions to hit the disabled, elderly poor

Echoing the letter from the author, the group that is going to be hit hard are the disabled, elderly and poor.