It is official! Our public transport stinks!
I spent 4 hours just getting to NUS and back home today. I think 4 hours is bloody ridiculous. I don’t even spend that much time getting to Tuas.
To begin with, I took too much time getting prepared to leave home today.
1st encounter: I waited for 73 at the busstop nearer to my place around 740am. The busstop was crowded. Usually a good sign…means people have been waiting for sometime and 73 should come soon…well, that was not to be and there were too many cabs driving past me…so tempting
2nd encounter: Took the cab to Bishan to catch a 156 to BTC. Decided that at the rate I was waiting for 73, I was not going to make it to catch the 74e (express bus), and there was no point catching a regular 74 at 750am. Means you will reach NUS at…10am? Lab was to start at 9am by the way. So the 2nd mode of public transport which is the cab, was bad as well. The cab driver asked if he should go by CTE from AMK to Bishan. At 745am. Duh! NO! I’m going to give the next driver who suggests that a very very menacing stare. Like hello, you want to squeeze more money out of me at least be a little more subtle right… Then when I reached Bishan from my place which wasn’t too far away, the cab fare was $8…thanks to the…what? 30% or 35% surcharge for peak hour. Okay fine I asked for it…but you had to grumpily ask if I had smaller change when I took out a $50 note. Well…DID YOU THINK YOUR FARE WAS THAT CHEAP?
3rd encounter: Disgruntled driver, I couldn’t care more. Waited for 156. It took 20min. Great. Lucky I cabbed over. Can still make it JUST IN TIME.
4th encounter: Not very fair to public transport because the NUS shuttle from BTC to KRC isn’t considered public. BUT STILL. The bus took 20min to arrive. It got stuck in the jam along Farrer Road. So from BTC to KRC took almost an hour…and Constance and I were so damn late for PK prac.
5th encounter: I will just sum it up and say, I tried means and ways to dodge the possible jams…and ended up taking FIVE buses to get home. How long did I take on that trip? 2 hours. Well done.
I do actually have a lot more to say in greater depth about the efficiency of our pub tpt but am too tired and drained to do so. Basically, I’m sorry if I’m one of those evil Earth inhabitants just emitting more carbon by the day and not saving our precious Earth for tomorrow. But till the day the public transport is going to get more efficient (and I’m not being overly demanding by the way…because for a world class place I think we really need to work on it…) I’m sorry, I will get a car the moment I can afford it…and well, I’ll try my very best to get a hybrid, I promise.
