Free Travel For Early Birds?

Last week, the "big" news floating around is that come late June, those commuters who managed to tap in and out of the train station by 7:45am will be entitled to free rides. In other words, the government is encouraging people to take the train earlier so as not to jam up the trains during the hours of eight and nine.

 

It makes me wonder, will people really find this appealing? Personally, I rather have my sleep than to wake up so early and reach office so early. As it is, I am already reaching office earlier than everyone else, even if I reach aronud half past eight in the morning!

 

The thing is, people being the way they are, will most likely grab hold of this opportunity to have a free ride everyday. I can understand that. Imagine if you spend S$1.50 travelling to work everyday. S$1.50 means S$7.50 a week, totalling to around S$30.00 a month. S$30.00 saved a month could buy a week's lunch, or some groceries, or just accumulate aside for a rainy day.

 

Hence, in the long run, it is pretty appealing, where dollars and cents are concerned. However, due to this, the trains will suddenly become very jam-packed during the hours of the free rides. Then suddenly the "peak" period will no longer be between eight to nine but seven to eight instead. In which case, people are going to work earlier yet still staying later, which is totally not in line with the family friendly and worklife balance policy the government is encouraging lately.

 

Furthermore, it still does not curb the problem of trains being jam packed, just that instead of after eight, the trains started being jammed much earlier. Due to this, more trains have to come at shorter frequency to cater to the massive jam during those times.

 

So does it really solve the problem of curbing the massive jam during peak hours? This is not a permanent solution though. This solution is only on a one-year trial, which means after the year, this solution may or may not be continued. Maybe if they feel the solution is working out, then perhaps it will continue, otherwise may be scrapped totally? Who knows?

 

I will definitely welcome any solutions to our transport problem. And the government is aiming to increase the population even further. Unless our country's land mass gets bigger, otherwise I really do not see how to solve this overcrowding and overpopulation in the near future.