May, fare increases are just like ERP hike. It does nothing to solve the congestion at all.


The root of the problem is Singapore is getting over populated with people .



If we cannot solve the infrastructure of the transportation system then it's time to "get used to it" or evolve ourselves to cater to the system.



Suggestions:



1. Work night shift instead.

2. Work from home (own biz)

3. Find jobs that can have flexi-hours and work later and go home later.

4. Bicycle

5. Electric-bicycle

6. fold-able bicycle

jimmoo, I don't think SMRT will reduce the fare or give free ride to Singaporeans, this comes to the cost issue and who is going to bear this cost? If more Singaporean travel early to work to take advantage of the free ride, it will have some health effect on them. Imagine you work overtime every night and need to wake up early just to avoid paying the fare, it will cause hazard in workplace.


I agree on increasing the number of trains during peak hours. This will solve most of the congestion issue. Moreover, we Singaporeans are subjected to fare increase every now and then right. The increase in fare is to take care of all these issues.

The next features of tighter security is probably ID Chip in our hands, illegal taps into telephone, mobile, internet emails and house to house searches without warrant, detention of "suspects" for terrorism without warrant and the final phrase is mass detention of rioters.


The methods for policing "terrorism" are being used in catching small criminals.



Next features is bankrupt shops at JB and all jobless flow into Singapore.

Don't undestand why are we complaining of long queues. We have the most wanted man out there and isn't it good to have a tighter security ?

Where are S'poreans?


IT is possible for Singaporeans to skip the cheap eats and buys in Johor.



A spirit-wearing traffic jam is all that is needed. Just take a look at one of the most popular spots near the Causeway.



On the other side.



Usually, there would be a queue at the two counters of Tian Jing money changer on Jalan Wong Ah Fook in Johor Baru.



Customers - a mix of Malaysians who work in Singapore as well as Singaporeans - would usually park their vehicles briefly by the shopfront to change money, its supervisor, Ms Chang, said.



Nowadays, the number of daytime customers has shrunk.



Ms Chang told The New Paper: 'Now, we have a lot of free time from morning to afternoon. It's the nightshift workers who seem busier, when most of our customers return from work in Singapore.'



Tighter immigration checks - due to terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari's escape from Singapore's Whitley Road Detention Centre on 27 Feb - have resulted in slow-moving traffic at the Causeway custom checkpoints.



The jams have turned off some motorists and prompted others to postpone their visits to Johor Baru.



One attempt by The New Paper team to enter Johor on a weekday had to be aborted due to a three-hour jam (see other report).



Ms Chang said: 'We're not the only ones affected because the other 10 money changers (along the same road) are also feeling the pinch.'



She noted that business has dropped by 30 per cent since three weeks ago.



BUSINESS HALVED



However, it is not just the Singaporeans who are slipping away.



Just 100m away, Mr Deen, 50, who manages VAH Money Changer, is not benefiting from the night traffic because his shop closes at 9.30pm.



Mr Deen, who revealed that Singaporeans make up 30 per cent of his clientele, said his business has 'dropped by half'.



'Most of them are Malaysians working in Singapore who get so fed-up and tired from being stuck at the Causeway that they just go home after work,' he said.



Some businesses in Johor frequented by Singaporeans, such as retail shops and restaurants, have also seen a drop in takings.



Mr Ang Swee Kiong, president of the Johor Baru Chefs Association said: 'During this difficult period, we have been discussing ways to attract more local customers with discounts and promotions.'



Mr Ang, 49, said there has been a 20 per cent drop in Singaporeans visiting restaurants in Johor Baru.



At Aeon Tebrau City Shopping Centre, some 20 minutes' drive from the Causeway, business at at least one retail outlet seem slower without Singaporeans.



An Esprit store supervisor, who did not want to be named, said: 'We have noticed a slight drop in business. In the past, there used to be more tour buses filled with Singaporeans who shop here before heading to other parts of Malaysia.



'While the local crowd on weekends have remained the same, we can tell that Singaporeans aren't coming over. One obvious sign is that you don't have to compete with a Singapore driver for parking space here.'



The supervisor added that, in general, a Singaporean spends about RM300 ($130) on each visit to the Esprit store in Aeon.



Singaporeans make up 60 per cent of the shop's customer base and they get discounts after showing membership cards or passports.



The supervisor added: 'I think they would have lost their mood to spend or shop once they get stuck in the jams.'



http://www.asiaone.com/News/The%2BNew%2BPaper/Story/A1Story20080324-55813.html

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.





http://www.asiaone.com/News/The%2BNew%2BPaper/Story/A1Story20080324-55789.html

I think some of the companies are genuine in recruiting fresh graduates during job fairs but some are just taking advantage of the fair to earn more business. Those investment or insurance companies are always recruiting people and you never miss them during any career fair but I think the number 20,000 is quite misleading. Does all 20,000 jobs require fresh graduates or those with more experience?