If you are getting the feeling that the trains are getting more packed, it’s not an issue of personal perception, it’s real! Just take a look at the chart below.

All you need to do is take a look at the figure ‘Growth in car kilometers operated (%)’ figure, and you will noticed that it has only increased 2%. But compared that to ‘Growth in passenger-trip numbers (%)’ and ‘Growth in weekday passengers (%)’ and you will notice that there’s an increase of 5.1% and 5.5% respectively.

The figures would suggest that SMRT has not adjusted their train frequencies according to the rise in demand. Apparently, the lessons of SARS have been forgotten and that means, if you get a flu, you can logically blame SMRT because they the chances of more sick people in the same cabin on the same train has increased.

Anyway, I would also suggest you buy some SMRT shares when the price is right. Then at least you can earn some money back from all that fare increments and misery you and your fellow commuters are suffering from SMRT’s lack of concern for the people they claimed to serve.

In simpler terms, if you can’t beat them, join them. Above which, you can also turn up at the AGM and ask some tough questions… make sure their CEO don’t laugh all the way to the bank thinking that her job is done because it doesn’t matter what the commuters think as long as ‘shareholders are happy’ .