ST Chris and Royston review of public transport

Excellent piece by Christopher Tan and Royston Sim for this Saturday's Special on public transport. It is a real pity that so many ST journalists are not like Christopher Tan. You could tell the amount of research, thinking and experience that had gone into producing this. 

Chris Tan like I said before understand land transport here better than anyone. The senior civil servant had lost his earlier bet placed over the CNY meal about no major train stoppage. Of course it was unbecoming of Chris to crow about it. Every policy maker ought to read his commentary today.

Below taken from his piece eloquently points out how our policy makers don't get it. No wonder young admin officers are now made to go down and see, hear, feel and sweat it out for themselves. Go back to your roots. Don't forget the likes of Sim Kee Boon who used to check the toilets at Changi Airport himself. In fact he also visited every airport toilets when he traveled. If you can only think in models and concepts you are good for nothing.

And how about this for accountability, the example of HK MTR chief? Chris Tan rounded his piece as follows (see below).

We will never better the MTR with the SMRT and LTA culture. The PAP better prepare to lose votes. Betting on some key train roll out milestones in 2016 might not save you as your inferior management culture will throw up embarrassing snafus now and then. Clearly the next GE would be in late 2016. The PM needs all the time he can get to fix all these problems. There is not enough time.