I think each time the issue of transport comes about, a lot of emotions and opinions get thrown into the air.
There are, it seems, 2 camps. The Locals Vs The Foreigners.
The locals feel
- that the system isn’t good enough.
The foreigners feel
- that the locals are not aware of what they have
- the locals are not widely travelled enough.
- the system is better than many others in the world.
The truth is, everyone’s right. So why the disparity? I’m listing it down to a few things I feel contributes to the various ways of thinking…
How locals judge things and why
The marketing for our local transport system has always been preaching world-class standards. This, of course, is coupled with the work culture that demands our own work output to be world class – we’re expected to work long and productive hours with almost zero error.
World Class means efficient, effective, reliable. Basically whatever is world class should go beyond the expectations of our customers. It should pre-empt the needs of the customers. It should not have errors(and if it does, huge amounts of compensation should be given).
…and the locals have literally been bred with the mindset that to stay in the game, one has to do anything, and everything, imaginable to attain world class standards.
How the travellers and foreigners judge things
This includes Singaporeans who have been away for a long time. Having been to various places frequently, they adapt to the standards of the land and they naturally compare the infrastructure of one place to another. It seems like they make observations more than judgements.
There’s a large focus on, “Oh country A’s system is better than B. But A’s is nothing compared to C. Oh! But country D beats everyone flat out!”
The disparity
The locals judge the system based on whether the transport system meets the expectations of a ‘world-class’ system where world-class is defined by the standards that they’ve perceived for themselves.
The foreigners judge the system based on actual comparison with the standing of other nations.
So we might actually be the ‘best’. But if it doesn’t meet the ‘world-class’ standards that we’ve set for ourselves, it’s still a let down.
And if they’re not ‘world-class’ in our heads…how can they be the best? right?
What’s your take on why the difference in perception?
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The so-called world class has always been defined by certain KPIs – e.g. how frequent the trains come, how often it breaks down, the cost per trip etc.
In which case, there’s really nothing much to dispute that it’s world class. When you factor in the earning power, Shanghai’s are $1 – $3 is more expensive. It’s also more packed etc due to the population density.
However, these KPIs will never include how a passenger feels about the service. Take for e.g. can you get a seat every trip when travelling ‘long’ distances, the turnover of passengers per station etc, which all goes towards how we as locals who use it day in and day out felt about the comfort. Of course foreigners or the so-called ‘more widely traveled’ will think of us as a bunch of whiners, but then I have more often heard about how people praise the HK MTR, and my experiences with even the Taipei and Shanghai ones didn’t leave me with the gratitude of a man without shoes looking at one without legs.
The so-called world class has always been defined by certain KPIs – e.g. how frequent the trains come, how often it breaks down, the cost per trip etc.
In which case, there’s really nothing much to dispute that it’s world class. When you factor in the earning power, Shanghai’s are $1 – $3 is more expensive. It’s also more packed etc due to the population density.
However, these KPIs will never include how a passenger feels about the service. Take for e.g. can you get a seat every trip when travelling ‘long’ distances, the turnover of passengers per station etc, which all goes towards how we as locals who use it day in and day out felt about the comfort. Of course foreigners or the so-called ‘more widely traveled’ will think of us as a bunch of whiners, but then I have more often heard about how people praise the HK MTR, and my experiences with even the Taipei and Shanghai ones didn’t leave me with the gratitude of a man without shoes looking at one without legs.
Meeting the world class standard is VERY important!
Meeting the world class standard is VERY important!
Been around many countries, and i can say that the transportation systems in general reflects the mentality of the governments.
Been around many countries, and i can say that the transportation systems in general reflects the mentality of the governments.