AFTER reading the articles 'Frantic search for injured daughter' and 'Bus bridging service activated for delays lasting more than an hour' (The New Paper, 26 Oct), my doubts about Singapore's transport system have increased.

The system failed Madam Eunice Chew when she so desperately needed a taxi to look for her injured daughter. What she initially experienced is not uncommon in Singapore.

Picky cabbies

Taxi drivers pick locations or refuse to take passengers when they feel like it. (The New Paper carried another letter from a reader, describing such a situation, 'Refused by cabbies from four companies', on 27 Oct.)

There was also the reply from SMRT about the bus bridging service.

Buses and trains are the basic forms of transport for Singaporeans. With so many people taking public transport to get to work and back, these services are a daily necessity and cannot fail.

I too was one of the passengers affected by the faulty train on the morning of 7 Oct. I fail to understand why SMRT can activate the bus bridging service only when the delay goes beyond an hour, no matter what the time or the situation.

Anything less than an hour might seem little to SMRT but keep in mind that this was a peak hour and a five-minute delay could lead to extra travelling time because of the congestion building up.

SMRT should have done more to guide the passengers rather than just telling them to alight with a vague message that the train is faulty.

Surely, if engineers had estimated the time needed for repairs, the passengers could have been told what to expect and what action to take next.

The Government has encouraged Singaporeans to go green and use public transport instead of driving, but to get more people to do that, the system needs to instill confidence.

Jeremiah Boon

This article was first published in The New Paper.