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Friday, September 05, 2003

LRT Breakdown 

Today, I took the LRT/MRT to work as usual. Well, at least I though it was the usual at first.

The first sign of trouble came when I spotted a LRT shuttle bus rambling past me as I was walking to the LRT station. I was puzzled, but did not think much about it.

At the lifts, a woman was hovering around. She turned to me and told me that she heard that the trains had broken down. I was pretty surprised as there weren’t any signs or announcements regarding the shutdown of service. But I decided to go up to the station and check it out anyway.

Went up and saw not a single SBS staff. People were, again, hovering around the station, wondering if the trains were in service or not. When I saw a group of people coming down the stairs from the platform, I decided to try my luck and entered the gates. Bad move. The minute I tapped my card and went through the gates, somebody told me that the trains had broken down. I was annoyed. Why weren’t there anybody to let us know what was happening?

Went out the gates and to the bus stop to wait for the so-called LRT shuttle. Waited for 10 minutes and not a single bus passed. And then suddenly, two trains zoomed above me in the tracks, with passengers. By then, I was hot and bothered. Seriously annoyed.

Decided to try my luck again and went up to the LRT platform. One of the tracks was “temporarily closed” but the other seemed to be functioning. Fine. So the train came and I thought my troubles were over. Haw haw. At the next station, the train stalled and suddenly, an announcement came over the intercom that we were to alight at the station and wait for another train because this one was going to be in service. WHAT? So half the train’s passengers alighted. All this time, there was a SBS staff on the train and he did not advise anyone on what we should do. He just stood there, looking blur and confused.

At the station, another train on the supposedly closed track arrived and we boarded it. Thank goodness, I thought. Think again. One station from my destination, the train stalled again. This time, it stalled for a very long time. Some passengers, irritated by all the events, ran out of the train, muttering curses. I continued sitting down, praying for a miracle. All of a sudden, the lights went out and a minute later, the air con was off.

And then, the train doors slammed shut.

I panicked silently. I was the type who would see stars, feel nauseous and eventually faint when there isn’t much fresh air around.

Someone tried to speak into the emergency speakerphone but there was not response from the central control. And then miraculously, the train started operating again.

So what is my point in all this?

I half-expected the trains to go crazy soon so the breakdown didn’t take me by surprise. What bothered me was the lack of information and help from the SBS staff. Nobody was at the stations, nobody on the trains and even if there were any, they were completely inept and unhelpful.

The increase in fares was attributed to higher costs incurred in using a fully automated system. Then by right, the manpower would have been freed to do troubleshooting when the problem arises. Basic things like signs and announcements would have been helpful and precious time wouldn’t have been wasted then.

Whatever happened during all the delays and extensions before the system started? Didn’t essential things like training take place?

What a load of BS.

yAnn at 9/05/2003 12:32:00 PM