Come July, our public transport system is going to implement the new distance fares. How this works is that instead of paying for the number of stops, we pay for how far we go. This makes a lot of difference to me, especially since my place is between two train stations. Now I need to go to the further one if I am to go to town, and then go to the nearer one if I am to go down to the east.
It did not matter in the past because the price for either station to go anywhere is the same since both belong to the same "stage", but now, with the new distance fares, the price between the two stations can cost anything from two to four cents, so I have to go whichever one accordingly if I do not intend to pay extra two cents.
With the new distance fares, the price upon boarding will increase from the existing one. But the advantage is that, if we are to transfer a bus or train, ie if we take another bus or train within the same journey subject to a maximum of five transfers in two hours, we can get quite a lot of rebate off, depending on the total distance. The rebate only applies if we transfer, and not if we take a straight bus or train.
For instance, once the distance fares start, if I am to take a straight bus from my office back home, it will take me two hours. But if I am to take a bus to near where my mum's office is and then change to another bus back home, the total journey is only about an hour and a few cents cheaper than if I am to take a straight bus.
It all depends on the route of the bus. The straight bus that goes to my place will go by several neighbourhoods and small lanes before arriving at my place, whereas the bus that I transferred to will cut through the highway all the way until it reaches another neighbourhood. So the total journey and time is shortened.
Come to think of it, the public transport here has changed a lot. I remember people telling me there used to be conductors on the bus, where they would punch out a ticket to your destination. I have never come across any conductors, but I do remember when I was young, the buses were non air-conditioned, with hard seats and noisy. I could hear the engine rattling each time the bus moved.
Our bus drivers had their uniforms consisting of a blue top and dark blue pants. We put in the coins into a machine next to the driver, and he would pull the handle to take the coins, and the ticket would then come out of another machine behind the driver's seat. I was always excited during those rare times when my mum or aunt would bring me to take a bus ride and I would always collect the tickets. I still have my collection of old bus tickets!
That was when I was still quite young, around the eighties and early nineties. In those days, I was driven around most of the time, and each time I could take the bus or train, I would be so excited because I could then see unfamiliar scenery flashing by me. How times have changed! Now I crave more than anything to be driven around as I am so sick of taking long bus or train journeys with people who are downright inconsiderate and it takes so long to go anywhere!
Anyway, around the mid-nineties, air-conditioned buses were introduced. Now the way of public transport had progressed! With the introduction of air-conditioned buses, I much rather wait for an air-conditioned bus than to take a noisy, non-airconditioned bus. Coins have also given way to a transitlink card, where we topped up cash and then paid using a transitlink machine on the bus. We had to key in our own fare according to the number of bus stops, and the ticket would come out on their own.
The disadvantage of this was that some passengers were not honest. Because we could key in our own fare, some of the passengers just keyed in the lowest fare available, even though they could be travelling a much longer distance. Whenever these people got caught by the inspector during random checks, their transitlink card would be taken and penalised the total fare. I witnessed some quarrelling with the conductor, saying that was the only fare they could afford, but the conductor refused to budge.
Then comes the twenty-first century. Bus drivers are now given better esteem in their jobs by being called "captain". Their uniforms went through an overhaul. They now wear a light green top with black pants. Their image is now updated to a more modern and sophisticated look. Buses are now fully air-conditioned (except for a few services), with more comfortable seats and much less noisy.
Transitlink cards have given way to magnetic cards where passengers just need to tap upon boarding, and then tap upon alighting, and the fare would be automatically deducted. The machines could only be tapped upon reaching a bus-stop and not during any other journey. This was one way to prevent cheating. Of course, there was no stopping some passengers to tap the card upon reaching a bus-stop without alighting, even though they were alighting only a few stops more.
So the bus inspectors upgraded their machines. One tap of our cards would indicate whether we were honest or not. Last year, the magnetic cards were replaced by a longer, slimmer version, but the function is the same - tap when you board, tap when you alight. What if we forgot to tap in upon boarding or tap out upon alighting? Then the next bus or train we took would not be able to register our card, and we had to then pay cash or go to any train station service counter and have the card rectified.
Now with the new distance fares, we still tap in upon boarding and tap out upon alighting, except now, instead of deducting the number of stops, the total distance is calculated and deducted accordingly when we alight. Even buses are automated nowadays!
This works for trains too. Instead of going by stages, now every stop is accountable for the total distance. So upon calculation, sometimes taking buses is much better than taking a straight train! The transfer rebate works on trains too, so even if I take a train, then transfer to a bus, then transfer to another train, there will be rebates for every transfer as well.
The train system has also evolved, from just a few stops that covers East to West and North, then the far North close to the border, then the North-east, then the West extension, now even the Circle and later on Downtown. So the train systems can ensure almost everywhere is covered!
But taking buses sometimes still have advantages especially in places where the train does not go to. And at some stops, the bus stops are nearer to the venue than the train station, and cheaper too, especially with the rebates and distance!
So I can say our island here is pretty much covered and convenient in terms of public transport. But I still say, having a car is still much more convenient, especially if one intends to go to rather "out of the way" places in the shortest time possible!
It did not matter in the past because the price for either station to go anywhere is the same since both belong to the same "stage", but now, with the new distance fares, the price between the two stations can cost anything from two to four cents, so I have to go whichever one accordingly if I do not intend to pay extra two cents.
With the new distance fares, the price upon boarding will increase from the existing one. But the advantage is that, if we are to transfer a bus or train, ie if we take another bus or train within the same journey subject to a maximum of five transfers in two hours, we can get quite a lot of rebate off, depending on the total distance. The rebate only applies if we transfer, and not if we take a straight bus or train.
For instance, once the distance fares start, if I am to take a straight bus from my office back home, it will take me two hours. But if I am to take a bus to near where my mum's office is and then change to another bus back home, the total journey is only about an hour and a few cents cheaper than if I am to take a straight bus.
It all depends on the route of the bus. The straight bus that goes to my place will go by several neighbourhoods and small lanes before arriving at my place, whereas the bus that I transferred to will cut through the highway all the way until it reaches another neighbourhood. So the total journey and time is shortened.
Come to think of it, the public transport here has changed a lot. I remember people telling me there used to be conductors on the bus, where they would punch out a ticket to your destination. I have never come across any conductors, but I do remember when I was young, the buses were non air-conditioned, with hard seats and noisy. I could hear the engine rattling each time the bus moved.
Our bus drivers had their uniforms consisting of a blue top and dark blue pants. We put in the coins into a machine next to the driver, and he would pull the handle to take the coins, and the ticket would then come out of another machine behind the driver's seat. I was always excited during those rare times when my mum or aunt would bring me to take a bus ride and I would always collect the tickets. I still have my collection of old bus tickets!
That was when I was still quite young, around the eighties and early nineties. In those days, I was driven around most of the time, and each time I could take the bus or train, I would be so excited because I could then see unfamiliar scenery flashing by me. How times have changed! Now I crave more than anything to be driven around as I am so sick of taking long bus or train journeys with people who are downright inconsiderate and it takes so long to go anywhere!
Anyway, around the mid-nineties, air-conditioned buses were introduced. Now the way of public transport had progressed! With the introduction of air-conditioned buses, I much rather wait for an air-conditioned bus than to take a noisy, non-airconditioned bus. Coins have also given way to a transitlink card, where we topped up cash and then paid using a transitlink machine on the bus. We had to key in our own fare according to the number of bus stops, and the ticket would come out on their own.
The disadvantage of this was that some passengers were not honest. Because we could key in our own fare, some of the passengers just keyed in the lowest fare available, even though they could be travelling a much longer distance. Whenever these people got caught by the inspector during random checks, their transitlink card would be taken and penalised the total fare. I witnessed some quarrelling with the conductor, saying that was the only fare they could afford, but the conductor refused to budge.
Then comes the twenty-first century. Bus drivers are now given better esteem in their jobs by being called "captain". Their uniforms went through an overhaul. They now wear a light green top with black pants. Their image is now updated to a more modern and sophisticated look. Buses are now fully air-conditioned (except for a few services), with more comfortable seats and much less noisy.
Transitlink cards have given way to magnetic cards where passengers just need to tap upon boarding, and then tap upon alighting, and the fare would be automatically deducted. The machines could only be tapped upon reaching a bus-stop and not during any other journey. This was one way to prevent cheating. Of course, there was no stopping some passengers to tap the card upon reaching a bus-stop without alighting, even though they were alighting only a few stops more.
So the bus inspectors upgraded their machines. One tap of our cards would indicate whether we were honest or not. Last year, the magnetic cards were replaced by a longer, slimmer version, but the function is the same - tap when you board, tap when you alight. What if we forgot to tap in upon boarding or tap out upon alighting? Then the next bus or train we took would not be able to register our card, and we had to then pay cash or go to any train station service counter and have the card rectified.
Now with the new distance fares, we still tap in upon boarding and tap out upon alighting, except now, instead of deducting the number of stops, the total distance is calculated and deducted accordingly when we alight. Even buses are automated nowadays!
This works for trains too. Instead of going by stages, now every stop is accountable for the total distance. So upon calculation, sometimes taking buses is much better than taking a straight train! The transfer rebate works on trains too, so even if I take a train, then transfer to a bus, then transfer to another train, there will be rebates for every transfer as well.
The train system has also evolved, from just a few stops that covers East to West and North, then the far North close to the border, then the North-east, then the West extension, now even the Circle and later on Downtown. So the train systems can ensure almost everywhere is covered!
But taking buses sometimes still have advantages especially in places where the train does not go to. And at some stops, the bus stops are nearer to the venue than the train station, and cheaper too, especially with the rebates and distance!
So I can say our island here is pretty much covered and convenient in terms of public transport. But I still say, having a car is still much more convenient, especially if one intends to go to rather "out of the way" places in the shortest time possible!
0 comments:
Post a Comment