The provision of free bus services during major rail disruptions is one of the mitigatory measures being taken to help commuters cope in the immediate aftermath of a breakdown. Other steps are greater ease in getting refunds and the availability of a mobile phone app to disseminate information to affected commuters. Recovery systems could include mobilising shopkeepers at stations to direct crowds so bottlenecks are relieved. These are not nominal concessions made to soothe the ire of Singaporeans, but an attempt by the authorities to ensure that public transport operators recognise and compensate for the scale of the inconvenience caused by breakdowns. Yet, these steps remain but crunch measures. The travelling public would also want to know what systemic changes have been emplaced since a costly Committee of Inquiry was set up after the disquiet over three breakdowns in four days in 2011. Still, the lay view is that breakdowns are becoming endemic.... Continue Reading