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SINGAPORE: Some 100 people turned up at the Speakers' Corner at Hong Lim Park on Saturday evening in one of the biggest gatherings seen at the site in recent years.
They were there to hear speakers debate about Singapore's public transport system. The event was organised by a group of bloggers.
The bloggers came armed with ideas contained in a 10-page report found on The Online Citizen website, which outlined proposals such as increasing motor-vehicle taxes, subsidies for public transport and enforcement of higher service standards by public transport operators.
Six bloggers spoke at the event, which lasted one and a half hours. One of the them was Gerald Giam, the deputy editor of The Online Citizen.
He said: "I think this whole reason for the fare hikes is symptomatic of a lot of other issues, for example, the lack of government investment in the public transport system in Singapore.
"Generally, our public transport is very good, but I think there's lot of room for improvement and I believe that at this point it does not justify the increase in fees.
"The amount of overcrowding in the public transport system, I think that's a bugbear for a lot of people, including myself."
Mr Giam added: "One of our proposals was to increase the amount of competition among the public transport companies because we believe that competition would somehow be able to reduce the prices as well as increase the level of service that commuters can enjoy."
The government together with transport operators, who will be helping the needy cope with the increase, said the latest public transport fare revision is part of efforts to deliver a people-centred land transport system.
The issue is one that obviously resonates with many Singaporeans who attended the debate at the Speakers' Corner.
"It concerns my living... because my pocket money will be getting less," said one of them.
"It's to show support for the poor in the country who would be suffering a lot because of this yearly increase in fares," said another.
"I think it interests everybody, right? Because transport fare is too high, so everyone is affected. Everyone," said a third participant.
"Transportation should remain affordable, especially for the needy," said a fourth participant.
The proposals have been sent to the Transport Ministry as well as the Public Transport Council and the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport.
Whether or not the authorities will implement any of the proposals remains to be seen.
But Saturday's event is a prime example of how Singapore bloggers are moving from behind the comfort of their computer screens to the real world. The event may also signal many more of such public engagements to come.
- CNA/ir
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