Given the legion of car models available in Singapore, settling on a final purchase decision is no easy feat. Indeed, it is both time-consuming and cumbersome to test-drive the myriad of cars to make an informed choice.
However, relying on time-honoured brands, word of mouth and (preferably independently produced) statistics could effectively pose as practical shortcuts to the lengthy decision-making process.
Additionally, the flowchart below serves to aid you in identifying the specific car attributes that fit your personal wants. Nonetheless, it is imperative to understand and assess yourself such that your behavioural, social and physical wants can be adequately supported by your financial ability.
Singapore has always prided itself on being competitive. We thrive and prosper when we stay ahead of competition. To achieve this, the Singapore government has diligently invested large sums of money and committed significant efforts to various productivity measures and educational initiatives.
One of the noteworthy productivity controls would be the reduction of lean waste, commonly referred to as DOWNTIME, which stands for Defects, Overproduction, Waiting time, Non-utilised or idle people, Transportation time, Inventory surplus, additional Motion to obtain out-of-reach materials and Extra-processing. The practice of lean principles has all along been championed by Toyota, the top-ranking automaker for the third consecutive year.
However, such conventional wisdom seems to have eroded with time when applied to the overall Singapore economy. An inordinate amount of time has been squandered through our increasingly unreliable public transportation system, draining productivity and crippling our competitive economy. Once reputed as an efficient train system in the 1990s, the bread and butter of our economy is no longer a boon but a bane to realising our productivity goals.
Nonetheless, all is not lost. We are still capable of living up to the titles of being the second most competitive city in the world and enjoying the second best quality of life in Asia. All we need is putting the following measures in place to adequately combat the next SMRT crisis, which requires resolve and political will across different agencies.
Yesterday’s disruption of train services on both the green and red lines “stranded” more than a quarter of a million people due to the inadequacies of the existing public transportation system. In particular, the bus and taxi fleets were insufficient to cater to the large crowd of passengers during the peak hours.
This is expected as the bus and cab populations are merely 17,509 and 27,695 respectively according to LTA as of 2013. This means given that the average bus fleet operated is 3,777 and if we assume all the cabs are in commission by individual passengers at a given time, each bus has to accommodate at least 59 passengers, which is not significantly less than the total passenger capacity of a single-deck bus.
Faced with such circumstances, it would thus be wiser for the private car population of 540,063 to pick up the slack. While taxis are profit-driven, private cars are more inclined towards cost-minimisation. Therefore, for the future rail “disaster”, it would be in the shared interests of both private car drivers and commuters to exchange a convenient ride for a nominal fee. Probably $5 to $10, depending on the length of the ride?
The implementation process is simple. It could be as easy as putting up a sign on the windscreen or using a mobile app or a site to indicate the destination and pick up passengers on the way.
Nonetheless, this requires the exemption of legal hurdles stated in the “Road Traffic (Car Pools) (Exemption) Order 2015” as shown below in times of crises:
You cannot solicit passengers on a road, parking place or public stands.
The pick-up points, drop-off points, date and payment must all be agreed between driver and passengers before the start of the carpool ride.
In Japan, passengers board the back door and alight at the front door. This may seem counter-intuitive at first but try thinking again. Japan is well-known for its legendary public transportation system which is uber-efficient and super-punctual. It is way past due to learn from our equally – if not more – developed cousin in Asia.
With the current door orientation, a common vexation in Singapore is that many passengers are reluctant to move to the rear as much as possible to allow more passengers to be able to board the bus. However, if passengers were to board the back door instead of the front door, they would be able to choose between moving to the fore or the back and thus the passenger load is likely to be more evenly spread out. Fortunately, this is a psychological issue that can be expediently rectified with an engineering tweak.
In most countries, a car is a necessity. This applies especially to large countries where people need to take great pains to traverse from one city to the next that may be hundreds of miles apart. Furthermore, for an enormous country, extensive infrastructural developments for an efficient public transportation system are not only costly but time-consuming. Not to mention the strong political will and tenacity required to win over the support of affected residents for a given construction project. Battling against all these odds is no easy feat and the results are self-evident.
In the United States last year, the number of vehicles on the road reached a record level of almost 253 million for a population size of 319 million, roughly equivalent to 4 automobiles for every 5 people. Contrast this ratio with Singapore’s 1 automobile for nearly every 7 individuals in 2014. Such statistics actually do paint a clearer picture than a thousand words. It highlights the fact that owning a car in Singapore is no longer a prerogative, but a luxury.
If a car is now a want instead of a need, how should we value the purchase so as to ensure that we are not overpaying for the convenience and comfort? Shown below is a basic flowchart that may be useful for the first round of consideration by potential car buyers. The key assumption made here is that the monthly fuel cost can be approximated to your transport fare; therefore the costs under review are incremental costs.
Note that this model has not accounted for miscellaneous expenses related to maintenance, repairs, ERP, road taxes and insurance.
Are you one of those people who are always on the go on weekends and public holidays? While on weekdays, you typically travel before 6:30am and after 7:30pm? Then, the new Off-Peak Monthly Travel Pass is the perfect public transport card for you!
The Off-Peak Monthly Travel Pass (OMTP) was implemented by the government to help reduce the citizens’ monthly transport expenditures. What is heavily attractive with the OTMP is that it offers UNLIMITED travel by bus and trains during weekday’s off-peak timings. And, the best part is you will have unlimited travels all-day long during weekends and public holidays.
The price for the OMTP is as follows:
S$80/month for Adults
S$40/month for Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities (PWD)
(Image: Ministry of Transport)
Aside from the prices, you must be aware that in order to buy your very own OMTP, you must first have or apply for an Adult Monthly Travel Card, a Senior Citizens Concession Card, or a PWD Concession Card.
Moving on to the exciting part, the weekday timings of the OMTP are before 6:30 am, between 9:00 am to 5:00pm, and after 7:30 pm. Surely, it is best suited for certain lifestyles such as people who work in hospitals or schools. Putting that into perspective, say Jane is a nurse and works an afternoon shift followed by a morning shift. Her afternoon shift will end at 9pm. So, she would travel after 9pm. Then, she must travel before 6:30 the next day as her morning shift starts at 7 am. This schedule definitely fits the weekday off-peak time scheme.
Image Credits: Walt Stoneburner via Flickr with Creative Commons License
To illustrate the savings, let us take teacher Josh as an example. Josh needs to travel before 6:30 am as the school starts on 7:20 am. If he lives in Toa Payoh and the school is at Clementi, his daily bus fare would cost about S$3.06-4.26 depending on which buses he takes. That is equivalent to S$67.32-93.72 a month, only during the weekdays! He will surely save a lot more with the OMTP scheme as it covers unlimited travel by buses and trains all day on the weekends and public holidays.
The savings of an individual depends on how far he or she commutes and on whether the OMTP fits his or her daily schedule. So, if you are eager to get your own OMTP…hold your horses! The pre-purchase at any TransitLink Ticket Office, MRT Stations, and Ticketing Machines starts on June 28 but it is available for use from July 5.
Singapore’s Public Transportation aids in the nation’s economic and environmental challenges. Most locals prefer to travel via train or bus just because it is safe, fast, and efficient. On that note, here are the background, tips, and benefits of traveling thru Public Transportation…
BACKGROUND
1. TRAIN OR MASS RAPID TRANSIT (MRT)
As most parts of Singapore are accessible by the MRT, it proves to be an affordable and convenient option. Get cheaper rates by traveling with a concession card (i.e., Child Concession Card, Student Concession Card, NSF Concession Card, and Senior Citizen Concession Card). In fact, Senior Citizen Concession Card get 25% off adult fares all day.
If you are a tourist, you are in luck! The MRT stations are made to be merely walking distance from the notable attractions such as the museums.
2. BUS
The buses provide the most picturesque view of the Lion City at budget-friendly fares ranging from S$1-3. All the children below 7 years old get to enjoy free travel. It is important to know that all commuters are charged based on their total distance traveled (i.e., no transfer costs) whether it is by bus or by train. So, the fares depend on your location and destination.
TIPS
1. MOVE TO THE CENTER OF THE TRAIN
Moving to the center of the MRT does not only help passengers to smoothly go in and out but it will also help you to get a seat.
2. CHECK YOUR BELONGINGS
Always take care of your valuables. Although your lost item can be retrieved, there is a slim chance that the finder may choose to keep it.
3. GET AN ESTIMATE OF YOUR DISTANCE FARE
Use the standard online calculator available here to estimate your travel costs. Find alternative routes to get the cheapest fare.
BENEFITS
1. SAVE CASH
It is no surprise that Public Transportation saves you more money as the price of owning a car here is overwhelming. Adding to that, going by bus or by train can help you beat the petrol price hike and the cost for maintaining a vehicle.
2. SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT
Public Transportation saves our environment as it reduces carbon emissions, petrol consumption, and congestion. Imagine if every family owns a car, given the scarcity of land, congestion will unfold.
Aside from preventing congestion, it is more energy efficient that private cars. According to the Land Transport Authority, the average carbon footprint per 10 km released by bus is 0.19kg while the by train is 0.13kg. This is smaller compared to the carbon footprint released by a private car (1.87kg)!
3. IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH
Access to Public Transportation enables you to walk to and from the bus or MRT station. That is a no-cost way to exercise! Also, it avoids the stress you may get from driving especially during rush hours.
