Commentary: Singapore’s MRT system is too big to fail, but has enough been done to improve reliability?

NOT JUST A MEANS OF TRANSPORT

Why is the MRT system too big to fail?

Look at the data: last year, there were an average of 3.45 million trips on the MRT and Light Rail Transit, representing about 44% of all suburban trips, excluding those taken by private vehicles.

These numbers will increase in the future when more new lines are added. When almost half the population relies on trains for their daily journeys, it’s obvious that the system is too big to fail.

The latest interruption affected 358,000 passengers on the first day and 516,000 the following day. In the six days before full service resumed, more than 2 million passengers were affected.

The economic cost of travel delays and to affected businesses has been enormous, not to mention the emotional stress and anxiety caused.

Just look at what people were saying on social media to get an indication of the public anguish.

A positive note this time: I think there were fewer incidents targeting SMRT personnel on the ground compared to previous incidents. In fact, several posts spoke highly of them doing their best to help confused passengers.

Most of the unhappiness was directed at the operator, its management, the bus fare services, especially on the first day, and the lack of information during the incident.

Inevitably, the government suffered a lot of collateral damage.

An Institute of Policy Studies survey conducted in 2014 showed how much the MRT meant to Singaporeans, and not just in terms of the number of journeys.

When respondents were asked about 50 significant historical events relating to the country, the launch of the MRT in 1987 was cited as the most positive for them.

The MRT occupies a prominent place among the population because it represents progress and efficiency.

On the other hand, any important issue that affects you will be remembered and evoke strong feelings.

When respondents were asked about the 2011 incident when a train stopped inside a tunnel, seven in 10 cited it as an important event and eight in 10 said it would have future implications.

The MRT system is too big to fail on an emotional level for Singaporeans.

The December 2011 incident was investigated by a Commission of Inquiry and led to sweeping changes to SMRT and the way it was managed.

The then Minister for Transport, Lui Tuck Yew, admitted that the government, including the Land Transport Authority, were also to blame for failing to hold the operator accountable and for failing to ensure that it could provide a safe and reliable service.

Since then, much has been done to improve the system. The $2.6 billion plan to renew the North-South and East-West lines, the oldest here, is nearing completion, with new sleepers, signaling and power systems and the third rail, and all trains will be replaced by new ones by 2026.

As a result, reliability has improved and the mean kilometer between failures (MKBF), an internationally recognized measurement, has improved and is now over one million MKBF.

But the nagging question remains amid the disruptions that still occur despite all the efforts thus far: Was it enough?