Public Transport Prices Increase AGAIN
The costs of living has yet gone up another notch. What else would prompt me to return to my writing sojourn?
From October onwards, electrical costs will be up by 21%, public transport costs increase, and all these amid an economy that may fall flat on its face. These policies are rather ridiculous, in my not-so-very-humble opinion.
Take for example, the fare hike (or fare adjustment, as they nicely put it) for public transports, the second hike in a year. Adults have to pay 4 cents more for each ride, but will get 15 cents more transfer rebate (for those of you who don't know, rebate=discount).
A person who transfers a public transport once will get a 7 cents discount, they say, and a person that transfers transport twice will get an 18 cents discount, they say, and the calcuation goes on, getting cheaper for an extra transfer. Supposedly, the costs are cheaper now because of the increase in rebate.
Really confusing, isn't it? I suppose this is a point they use to confund the public so that they can suck more money from us.
They don't give statistics showing whether there are more people taking a direct route or more people transferring, much less giving details on the demographics of each category.
What if an impoverished families take more direct routes because they find jobs that are near their places in the first place, to save money?
And those who transfer are high-income executives forced to turn to public transport because of ERP & oil price increase?
Wouldn't they be taxing the poor and rebating the rich?
The lack of such concrete evidence is the crux of the matter. If SBS is able to come out and prove that they have the correct motives for such ridiculous fare adjustments, I'm sure the public will feel more assured that they can trust further adjustments in the future.
However, the price increase does not seem to stem from the need to improve their services.
Everyone I know seems to have a gripe against SBS. Be it from rude bus captains, buses that drive off without waiting at the stop, or buses that arrive once in 60 minutes (80 minutes, in my case), SBS's service is doing a disservice to their reputation.
Despite adding the IRIS service, which is useful, it does not help when the reply coming back says "Next Bus: 75 minutes, Subsequent Bus: 80". (Yes, I received that message before. I would have taken it down with my camera phone, but the message was in my phone) When the bus arrived 8 minutes later, I was so relieved that I could have relieved myself on the spot.
Obviously, the public transport sector has to account for a lot more now that the nation is turning to them for many reasons. ERP costs, fuel prices, pollution, license revoked, etc. etc.
Without improving to meet the further demands, they might just be the ones to take a hike.
From October onwards, electrical costs will be up by 21%, public transport costs increase, and all these amid an economy that may fall flat on its face. These policies are rather ridiculous, in my not-so-very-humble opinion.
Take for example, the fare hike (or fare adjustment, as they nicely put it) for public transports, the second hike in a year. Adults have to pay 4 cents more for each ride, but will get 15 cents more transfer rebate (for those of you who don't know, rebate=discount).
A person who transfers a public transport once will get a 7 cents discount, they say, and a person that transfers transport twice will get an 18 cents discount, they say, and the calcuation goes on, getting cheaper for an extra transfer. Supposedly, the costs are cheaper now because of the increase in rebate.
Really confusing, isn't it? I suppose this is a point they use to confund the public so that they can suck more money from us.
They don't give statistics showing whether there are more people taking a direct route or more people transferring, much less giving details on the demographics of each category.
What if an impoverished families take more direct routes because they find jobs that are near their places in the first place, to save money?
And those who transfer are high-income executives forced to turn to public transport because of ERP & oil price increase?
Wouldn't they be taxing the poor and rebating the rich?
The lack of such concrete evidence is the crux of the matter. If SBS is able to come out and prove that they have the correct motives for such ridiculous fare adjustments, I'm sure the public will feel more assured that they can trust further adjustments in the future.
However, the price increase does not seem to stem from the need to improve their services.
Everyone I know seems to have a gripe against SBS. Be it from rude bus captains, buses that drive off without waiting at the stop, or buses that arrive once in 60 minutes (80 minutes, in my case), SBS's service is doing a disservice to their reputation.
Despite adding the IRIS service, which is useful, it does not help when the reply coming back says "Next Bus: 75 minutes, Subsequent Bus: 80". (Yes, I received that message before. I would have taken it down with my camera phone, but the message was in my phone) When the bus arrived 8 minutes later, I was so relieved that I could have relieved myself on the spot.
Obviously, the public transport sector has to account for a lot more now that the nation is turning to them for many reasons. ERP costs, fuel prices, pollution, license revoked, etc. etc.
Without improving to meet the further demands, they might just be the ones to take a hike.
posted by The Wordsmith at
12:02 am
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