SMRT's train frequency to be reduced if flu alert hits red
04 May 2009 2123 hrs
SINGAPORE: SMRT said train frequency will be reduced by 30 per cent once Singapore's pandemic alert level hits red.
This is because its service staff are divided into two teams to prevent the potential spread of the H1N1 virus.
SMRT has increased its cleanliness vigilance level in trains and buses by more than three times ever since the Health Ministry raised the flu alert to orange.
Public areas are cleaned once every two hours and temperatures of SMRT officers are checked twice daily. There is also a quarantine room for passengers who display flu symptoms.
Ventilation within the trains has been increased, while windows and doors of buses parked at interchanges will remain open. Temperature of bus captains are also being checked at bus interchanges.
I almost puked out my dinner when I first saw this on TV last night.
I know SMRT is stupid but I didn’t know how dumb they are now until this announcement. GOSH somebody nominate them for the Guinness book of record please!
How can reducing train frequency prevent the spread of the virus? Reducing train frequency will only discourage people from using the SMRT so these people may chose alternate mode of transport and this may be the only reason it will help stop the spreading of the virus.
Put it this way. If 1000 people need to get from Bedok to City Hall station between 9am – 10am and they boarded 10 trains, if you reduce the train frequency, the only result is that these 1000 people will pack into 7 trains instead.
Now suppose Person A is a H1N1 virus carrier, he will infect 100 people in the current scenario, let say our “Clever” SMRT reduced the train frequency by 30%, which imply, that now each train carry 143 people instead of 100 and there fore Person A infect 43 more people.
The root cause of these is SMRT is not willing to increase manpower to help the spread of the virus. If the alert level reaches red, they could just stop all unessential work and get their staff in the back end to help the service staff. GOSH what a stupid organization, no wonder our world-class transport system is in such disarray.
1 comment:
haha...got a valid point..aiyah..u cannot like this think mah...you must think like them...if 100 people want to get from point A to B, by them reducing the train service, all they want to do is to frustrate you enough that instead of 100 people take train (and the rest take taxi), only 50 take so overall, will have reduction in people on each train loh! Then when it becomes red, they will stop all train services so that everyone is supposed to stay at home anyway to prevent any transmission of the disease!
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