Is it just me or does the train seems to get more and more crowded these days?
According to a recent report by the LTA, apparently, the number of passenger rides has increased but taxi rides has on the other hand, fallen.
Of course, many might actually attribute it to the recession, as people are trying to “save” and not be too “extravagant” on their choices.
Even the controversial single supposedly mother of 2, Maya, had also recently declared that she has cut down on taxi rides and taking more of public transport “to save for her 2 children”.
Anywayz, it certainly does seem to get crowded on public trains.
I have not always been a frequent train-rider; by frequent I mean at least 3 times a week. Well throughout my schooling years, all the way to university, I never quite had to take the train to school, since my schools were in the vicinity, or I have a direct bus that I could take to school.
I only became a more frequent passenger of our beloved MRT mode of transport ever since I started working, which is slightly more than a year ago (how times flies …. back to the topic.) I can’t help but feel that the trains seem to get more and more crowded.
From my understanding, the frequency of train has increased, LTA has fined SMRT and the other operators time and again for “unsatisfactory service frequency” but the situation does not seem to have improve much.
Of course, if you are talking about how packed the trains can be, trust me, Singapore is still waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy better. Having experienced the train rides in Tokyo and Mumbai, which I believe are the world’s number 1 and number 2 most crowded trains in the world, the Singapore trains are still a breather to ride on.
Of course, ocaasionally you can hear irritated Singaporeans making that stupid “psssing” sounds when you happened to squeeze in a little or something. Relax, we are not trying to get on your nerves for nothing. Be a little more gracious.
The irritating part about the local trains are that; the middle of the trains are normally still rather spacious; by spacious, I mean that you can still open up your newspaper and read, but at the door openings, they are packed like sardines. It irritates that people do not take the initiative to move in. Or sometimes, when people just refused to move into the centre of the cart because since I will be “alighting in the next few stops”, I don’t want to “squeeze myself out”.
Relax, normally, the doors will be opened for a considerable amount of time to ensure that you can still get out of the train even though if you are squeezing out from the middle. Or walking a few extra steps won’t kill you; in fact it helps to burn a few more extra calories.
Anyway, back to the main topic.
As trains are getting more crowded despite an increase in train frequency, perhaps it could be because that Singapore is becoming more and more populated?
As I take the trains daily, it never cease to amaze me on the number of foreigners that are on the trains. Well, I am aware that in Singapore we have one of the highest foreigner ratios comparatively (1:4), but still the feeling is rather overwhelming.
Malaysians, Chinese and Indians formed the biggest bulk of it, since that they so nicely blend into our local mix heritage, many might not notice it but in fact, it does exist.
I remember hearing the different accents that flows around in the train when people speak on the train. Well, sometimes you can just tell from their look (Singapore chinese are not that fair lah).
Of course, it is also interesting to see how of the things that people are doing on the trains. Smsing, playing nitendo, reading newspaper, books, sleeping, whatever.
As for me, I think I am the one who always try to watch what people are doing :p
