Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng today (June 16) cherry picked statistics between January and May of 2017 to declare that rail reliability is improving.
“Rail reliability here is improving, with the MRT network clocking 387,000 train-km between delays in the first five months of this year (2017). This is more than double the 168,000 train-km achieved during the same period in 2016.”
There has been 4 rail breakdowns – three on the North South Line and one yesterday on the East West line – in the past 3 weeks since May 26. Unfortunately the PAP Minister deliberately avoid counting the major breakdown starting on 26 May 2017. Minister Ng Chee Meng, a former army general, has no comment on the 4 rail breakdowns that happened in recent weeks.
The former Chief of Defence has no prior transport management experience, and was appointed a Transport Minister out of nepotism due to his fervent loyalty to Prime Minister Lee Hsien loong.
Also to note, rail reliability is measured in a year period and not by months. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also committed the same amateur mistake and issued a fake news claiming reliability increased “two-fold” in May.
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan has disappeared from media appearances, with his last public statement 4 months ago in February where he called for more rail workers.