Some Clarifications

In light of recent developments that relate to the blog personally I feel the need to explain, what really, STC is all about. Because what happened, was clearly a misinterpretation of who we are, and what we are for. So one could take this post as an intro to the STC blog, 9 months late, that sets the agenda straight.

Who Are We?

Firstly, as our blog name suggests, first and foremost we come with the intent to criticise, but not just for the sake of it. Our criticism is intended at highlighting the weaknesses and flaws of current transportation policy (both micro and macro, but admittedly we do have a tendency to lean towards the “micro”), something the current batch in power… let’s be honest here, isn’t exactly very good at doing, which sometimes results in them making the same mistakes repeatedly. Of course, as a forgiving bunch we know that not everything is perfect, and this we do acknowledge in our own posts as well! However when things go south too many times, it is quite unrealistic to keep mum about it, no? 

Secondly, we are here to provide constructive suggestions. Bold initiatives on how to improve the transportation system as a whole (Given how a good supermajority of Singapore relies on public transport, it is only natural that most of our proposals are centered around it). Maybe some wacky ideas here and there, some of which are highly unimaginable under current policy conditions.

And thirdly… like most readers out there, we are frequent users of public transport, which is the main focus for this blog. This is particularly important, because I, and some other editors here have been on the receiving end of false allegations that I am “out of touch” with the current scene of public transportation in Singapore, and thus they casually proceed to, in a sense, cancel out STC. Of course, we don’t fully understand all the technical stuff and all the weird rules and regulations and the (personal opinion here) pointless evaluation criteria, and that’s where lose out to said haters, because unfortunately none of us here work in the industry, or possess sources of inside information. But then again, does being book-smart in all those nitty-gritty aspects really matter if the reality doesn’t match up with the intended policy outcomes?

Our Tagline

Rant. Realise. Reinvent. Rebuild.

Or, the 4 “R”s.

The first one, rant, is pretty self-explanatory. No criticism is complete without a rant against someone, or something, or an idea! Even “elegant” and “sophisticated” criticism that true professionals do all the time in research journals, once simplified (perhaps excessively), is really nothing more than a rant, just lite and more polite. Hopefully we’ll get there one day but when we’re facing systemic policy mistakes that are egregiously cause our transportation system to take blows consistently even in peacetime (that is, when there is no major disruption), that really can take second place.

The second, “realise”. Even if things don’t go horribly wrong (ding ding October 14), we keep observing the general situation of public transport, and of course in areas of interest tabs are meticulously kept. After all, we do want to see successes and what turns the overall situation for the better, because, like everyone else, we want to know the secret recipe of success. It works differently for different cities, and therefore a Ctrl C + Ctrl V approach certainly shouldn’t be done (that’s why I don’t approve how the BCM is done – with a few superficial changes it’s mostly the same system being used in the UK and Australia, which as we all know, are politically, culturally and economically, different), but that doesn’t, and shouldn’t, stop us from learning the good from other cities right? Just as a cautionary note, we should avoid “political-scientific” ways of evaluating our transport system i.e. shooting the arrow and then painting the target.

Then you have, reinvent. On lower levels where we focus more on the tinier aspects of the transportation system this is where our ideas come in. Mostly because over the past few decades we as a nation have been too fixated on existing ideas, and practices, that have been around since the beginning of time, after all, don’t fix if it ain’t broke, right? Except when everyone else is pulling ahead with shiny new clothes while we are still wearing those old hand-me-downs that have been patched up numerous times, it doesn’t hurt to bring in some fresh brainpower, doesn’t it? 

And last, but definitely not least, to rebuild. What everything on this blog exists for, is to fulfil a vision of a drastically improved public transportation system that results in a win-win situation for all parties, be it the 9-to-5 commuter, the frequent rider, operators, and (!) LTA themselves! A rebuilt system that isn’t just one that gets by with handling current operational levels and demands, rather, a future-proof system that will withstand the times, and keep us on the fast track forward into the exciting and advanced future! Or at the very least, one that will is able to fulfil needs of different stakeholders going forward. In short, we don’t want to be that student in class who does the bare minimum amount of work in class. We want to go further. Right the wrongs. And take us all flying to greater heights, with a strong, robust, dependable, convenient, turboengine of liberating transportation lifting us all into the sky, among the clouds. 

Put People First

Three simple, ubiquitous words, yet what does it exactly mean? 

Consider a simple thought experiment: What makes an SG-plated bus different from a PA-plated bus? 

You can give reasons, and of course there will be a bit of truth to all of them, but the biggest difference of all, that we feel, is their operational mindset. This is something that determines how a public transport operator and authority looks at the concept of public transportation in itself, aka the type of lenses they wear. 

But a fundamental difference, that arises from the inherent nature of the services the buses each provide, remains, and this difference, agonizingly, isn’t recognised clearly and fully, which results in short-changing the public at best and “scamming” (to borrow from the SPF) at worst.

Who is LTA accountable to? Who is public transportation built, and provided for? 

The People. 

It’s PUBLIC transportation, after all. Thus this blog carries the firm belief that the People be placed as the first consideration in public transportation planning and policy, because without the People public transport is meaningless. (The same can be said for power and capital in general too) Ponder that for a moment.

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