Bus commuters in Singapore must be in disbelief that there is finally an admission from the authorities that the current operators are doing a poor job and are putting vehicles and profits above people (commuters and their staff). It was good to see Transport Minister Raymond Lim put on a brave, though somewhat nervous face to proclaim that there will be improvements.

I share his anxiety. I am sure this is not an easy task for him and his team.

1. SMRTs, CEO Mrs Saw unabashedly announced on TV that the company will fight to get the most lucrative routes, using their experience and strength, once it put up for bidding. That leaves us wondering who would run the 'lesser' routes or how would the 'Ulu' areas be served. Would we leave them to some ill experienced and poorly resourced companies?
2. Would granting franchises on a geographic model mean that commuters will have to change buses at geographic boundaries, or operator will have no rights to pick up passengers outside their operational boundaries? These issues may be complex if at all surmountable.
3. Do we really know and understand the profile of commuters and what they really want?

Rates and fares are definitely critical issues. There is already some indication that fares will increase as the new charging principle will be based solely on distance traveled without limitation. What commuters would like to see is a transparent account of what goes into the cost base of operators. How do revenues from real estates like Toa Payoh and AMK Kio Bus terminal, or bus advertising that commuters are force to view, go to reduce the operational cost base.

Huge investments to create systems to provide more timely information at bus terminal and stops may not be necessary if bus waits are no more than 10-15 minutes. Other improvements at bus stops are more critical. Currently most bus stops are not rain proofed. Not all bus stops carry important information on the bus routes of the services available. The seats and bus stop areas are often unkempt and dirty.

The role of bus and trains must be revaluated and repositioned prior to even talking about further integration. Currently buses are seen as the poor man's option, and MRT somewhat 'sikit atas' charging higher fares. In fact it is possible to view the MRT, as its name suggests, as the MASS TRANSPORTER, especially for long distances and buses as a door to door service. Rates will have to be aligned if this view is adopted so that the ultimate transportation cost for the commuter is minimized. This make sense as cost/scale extrapolations would probably show that it is easier to gain economies of scale from the MRT system than the bus system. It is also possible for the MRT operators to reduce rates as they would probably have recovered a large part if not all their initial capital investments.

Huge investments to provide equipment to make more amenable for wheelchairs should not be a priority. Bus drivers and commuters should be king enough to help out in the infrequent occasion of meeting someone in a wheel chairs\. Some form of subsidies should instead be provided to these people to enable them to travel by taxis. I do not think these subsidies will cost anywhere near the sum that LTA had given to SBS to improve their buses for wheel-chaired passengers.

I like to conclude by once again congratulating Transport Minister Raymond Lim for his brave and courageous stand. He has certainly demonstrated that people in authority do not have to be defensive about any preexisting situation-their job is purely to make improvements. I believe that all public transport commuters and Singapore residents at large will share my sentiments and offer the minister our support and encouragement to fulfill his mission.